There is so much I could say about this, because of course The Red Abbess, my other substack, is devoted to passion and why it's maybe the only thing that matters, ultimately, and maybe the only thing powerful enough to save us from the mess we're making of this culture.
And yes, the word "hobby" irritates me. as well But I do think some people have hobbies -- pasttimes that aren't passions, and are just ways to, well, pass the time. I don't understand the point of that, when there is passion out there to be experienced, but I recognise that not everyone even understands that there might be more to life than a job and a hobby, and so they do what they can to get by. That's not my choice, but it is a choice, I suppose, and at one point, I got a bit stuck there, so I empathise.
And yes, a spell is a sound made in order to affect the world, and that's exactly what words are, and thus they are by definition spells, which is why I write them so carefully, and why writers are magick-makers, whether they conscious understand that or not.
PS I've always loved that "changed priorities ahead" signs... the Brits are so much better at street signs that the Americans are.
Thank you, Faith! I wholeheartedly agree. Funny the word "hobby" irritates you too. Absolutely: some people seem happy (content, rather) with a much simpler life: they don't seem to have any real burning desire to pursue anything too seriously other than their job, family life and the like. Those who come to mind seem pretty happy and stable, so good for them. Whatever floats their boat. But I could never live their life. I would constantly feel like something's missing. Ultimately, as you very well say, it's a choice.
Really interesting what you say about words being spells. Loved it. And yes, Brits love signs!! 🤣 Sometimes there is an overabundance of signs, but I guess that's better than not enough signs!
Oh, fewer signs would be much better. "Signs, signs, everywhere signs..." It's just that British signs are so much more polite and literary, is the thing. "Can we trouble you not to..." and they generally come with an apologetic explanation for the inconvenience, whereas in America, the signs are just rude. "Do it because we say so and don't ask questions."
As to the more important part of your post, yes. I'm in the middle of transitioning between a community of friends in which passion is not undrestood or valued, to an attempt here on substack, to build a new community of friends who get it. I probably don't have to tell you that it's soul sucking to be around people who live in the world of quiet desperation, to quote Emerson.
Are we also connected on The Red Abbess, btw? I never look at subscribers or stats, so I have no clue who's reading what...
Lol yes, politeness is a huge thing. We laugh at it but it's the first thing that shocks me as soon as I travel overseas: the lack of courtesy/manners in most places outside Britain 😁
I hear you: taking that step is painful, but it's for the better in the long term. I'm also reaching a stage where I'm tired of not feeling a real connection with certain people, no matter how long we've been friends or known each other for.
Yes, we are! I've only recently subscribed to it, as I only found out about it on the back of your latest Abbey post (which I've been following for a while now). Great work you do on both.
I think to get that kind of community, we have to do the very scary thing of repelling/alienting the people who aren't our tribe in order to attract those that are. That's no small thing to undertake.
Yeah, I also hate the word hobby. I think I probably used it myself as a way to minimize the importance of my non-moneymaking passions. I called playing percussion, gardening, tennis, music collecting and obsessive music magazine reading, "hobbies." I tried to fight off how society and media made earning money and moving up the ladder, buying a house, a fancy car, etc., the important things to focus on in life. But I wanted none of those things. Luckily my inner conflict with the predominant capitalistic force waned in recent years. Sped up by the pandemic.
Thanks for this piece, Andres. It's great to have so many passions!
Thank you, Steve! Yes, I admit I sometimes use it, but precisely with the intention of minimising certain things or activities that I know I won't prioritise. That's why I like to make a distinction between hobbies and passions.
The way I try to see it is: the harder I work and the more money I get, the more records I can buy, the more trips I can plan, and the more concerts I can attend. Win-win :)
Hi Andrés! There may be a few factors at work here. First, for some younger people, record collecting is purely an accessory to fandom (you know, the folks who don’t have a record player but buy albums of the artists they love). This segment of the record-buying population has been written about extensively in articles about the vinyl resurgence. But, deeper than that, is the old but tenacious notion that the arts are not a serious undertaking; they’re ornamental rather than essential. Thus, building a life around music (or any of the arts, for that matter) is viewed as something akin to a hobby. I’d like to think that this mindset has gone the way of the dodo, but I’m afraid it persists. As a music journalist, I still face this attitude from time to time. I’ve been in situations where I meet someone and they ask what I do. I’ve answered ‘journalist’ and they’re impressed, thinking I’m covering politics or wars or uncovering corruption. When they ask more specifically what I do, and I tell them I write about music, they often seem disappointed. Their facial expression changes and they say, “Oh, that’s nice.” Or, “That must be fun.” And, in a way - because I love my work - it is fun. But it’s so serious to me, as it clearly is to you, too. For me, music is life, pure and simple. Music centers me, grounds me, levitates me, thrills me, crushes me, and I can’t imagine my existence without it.
Hi Andrew! Thanks a lot for your comment. You raise very interesting points. I also think there's this misconception that anything artistic --or derivatives thereof, e.g. writing or curating in the field-- is a talent and, as such, does not require any real discipline, or training, or sacrifices, or real "hard work". Even the most talented artists in their field --and I dare say perhaps precisely the most talented artists-- have devoted untold amounts of time, effort, blood, sweat, tears and then some to perfect their craft and get better at what they do. Only those who know a little bit more than the average spectator will be able to truly appreciate the effort required to make certain things look or sound "effortless".
Completely agree with you: music is everything. I simply can't imagine what or where I would be without it.
¡Das justo en el punto! Sin duda la palabra tiene un peso específico insoslayable, más allá de que , como escritores, aprendamos a ensamblarlas para dar sentido a nuestros textos. He pasado días buscando ESA palabra que mejor defina mi sentir y mi pensar Comparto, esa palabra y no otra. ¡ Y comparto plenamente tu aversión por la palabra hobby, que degrada todo lo que alude! Abrazo!
Muchísimas gracias! Tal cual: las palabras pesan, y las elecciones importan. Qué horrible la palabra hobby: degrada e infantiliza las pasiones! Abrazo enorme!!
Hobbies have always felt like something that’s consigned to the activities of children. As a kid, I collected stamps. It was a hobby, not something I was passionate about, and most likely foisted upon me by one of my parents. But I think, as we get older, and as we begin to have a little more agency in our own lives, we begin to discover what we’re passionate about, and find ourselves devoting time to those passions.
I think that’s probably why the word “hobby”, when used by someone else, always feels a little patronizing to me. Like I’m being spoken down to, like my passions are childlike.
And that’s the power of words - they have impact, regardless of the intent.
I do sometimes hear people talk about their hobbies and I wonder why they refer to them in that way. It could be purely because they are simply a way to pass the time. But I sometimes wonder if it’s their own attempt to minimize the importance of these pursuits in their lives because they’re not seen as “serious” or “worthy”. It’s sad that we still live in a world where people may prefer to censor themselves and not be their fully authentic selves for fear of judgment or ridicule.
Thank you, Mark! The connection you make with childhood is spot on. I absolutely agree that when somebody else uses the word hobby to refer to one of our passions it can feel really patronising. When people refer to their own passions as hobbies, it makes you wonder whether they do it automatically, without really thinking of the wider implications of the word. We have to be careful with what we say. You have captured the essence of what I wanted to say in my post, and I thank you for reading so attentively.
Word should never be taken for granted, your choice of words is exactly that, your choice. You have different options when making a statement and you choose your words accordingly. Let's take a look at lyrics, we can all listen to the same song and come up with a different meaning and will most certainly have a different reason why that song resonates with us or does not.
Thank you, Bob! Your reference to lyrics is spot on. There’s so much in a word. What the speaker/author means, and what the listener/reader interprets.
Justo hace unos días aprendí en un espacio de historia que ciertos pueblos consideraban la palabra como un don divino, y el acto de mentir era condenado duramente, porque mentir era como despreciar ese don.
Ni hablar de lo que decimos a veces de nosotros mismos!
Gracias!! Qué interesante lo que comentás. Es impresionante cómo distintas culturas a lo largo de la historia han atribuido tanta importancia (y consecuencias) a la palabra.
Nice post. Some good commentary from readers too. I am quite envious of the Changing Priorities sign - would have been ideal for my last post. Will check out Unsplash.
Like all here, I understand and empathise with this dislike of the word 'hobby'. Words matter and a definition may help: "an activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure." I think it's the "done for pleasure" aspect that gives 'hobby' a bad name. It's not "done for money" is the thing.
I could write more but my brain has just closed in the attempt. 'A passion' sounds good and strong. Thanks for this lovely piece of writing.
Thank you, Benjamin! Readers comments never disappoint around here. I’m very lucky 😊
The photo is from the stock photo section of Substack — you can search by name or theme, e.g. priority. They’ve got some cool stuff!
Yes, there’s an element of the pleasure/work dichotomy that plays a role. This goes hand in hand with the prioritisation aspect I mention in the post: a hobby rarely gets prioritised because other things are considered more important. And therefore it’s never taken seriously enough.
Thanks again for stopping by and for your comment!
There is so much I could say about this, because of course The Red Abbess, my other substack, is devoted to passion and why it's maybe the only thing that matters, ultimately, and maybe the only thing powerful enough to save us from the mess we're making of this culture.
And yes, the word "hobby" irritates me. as well But I do think some people have hobbies -- pasttimes that aren't passions, and are just ways to, well, pass the time. I don't understand the point of that, when there is passion out there to be experienced, but I recognise that not everyone even understands that there might be more to life than a job and a hobby, and so they do what they can to get by. That's not my choice, but it is a choice, I suppose, and at one point, I got a bit stuck there, so I empathise.
And yes, a spell is a sound made in order to affect the world, and that's exactly what words are, and thus they are by definition spells, which is why I write them so carefully, and why writers are magick-makers, whether they conscious understand that or not.
PS I've always loved that "changed priorities ahead" signs... the Brits are so much better at street signs that the Americans are.
Thank you, Faith! I wholeheartedly agree. Funny the word "hobby" irritates you too. Absolutely: some people seem happy (content, rather) with a much simpler life: they don't seem to have any real burning desire to pursue anything too seriously other than their job, family life and the like. Those who come to mind seem pretty happy and stable, so good for them. Whatever floats their boat. But I could never live their life. I would constantly feel like something's missing. Ultimately, as you very well say, it's a choice.
Really interesting what you say about words being spells. Loved it. And yes, Brits love signs!! 🤣 Sometimes there is an overabundance of signs, but I guess that's better than not enough signs!
Oh, fewer signs would be much better. "Signs, signs, everywhere signs..." It's just that British signs are so much more polite and literary, is the thing. "Can we trouble you not to..." and they generally come with an apologetic explanation for the inconvenience, whereas in America, the signs are just rude. "Do it because we say so and don't ask questions."
As to the more important part of your post, yes. I'm in the middle of transitioning between a community of friends in which passion is not undrestood or valued, to an attempt here on substack, to build a new community of friends who get it. I probably don't have to tell you that it's soul sucking to be around people who live in the world of quiet desperation, to quote Emerson.
Are we also connected on The Red Abbess, btw? I never look at subscribers or stats, so I have no clue who's reading what...
Lol yes, politeness is a huge thing. We laugh at it but it's the first thing that shocks me as soon as I travel overseas: the lack of courtesy/manners in most places outside Britain 😁
I hear you: taking that step is painful, but it's for the better in the long term. I'm also reaching a stage where I'm tired of not feeling a real connection with certain people, no matter how long we've been friends or known each other for.
Yes, we are! I've only recently subscribed to it, as I only found out about it on the back of your latest Abbey post (which I've been following for a while now). Great work you do on both.
I think to get that kind of community, we have to do the very scary thing of repelling/alienting the people who aren't our tribe in order to attract those that are. That's no small thing to undertake.
Absolutely. It takes time, and effort, and a lot of other things, but it's worth it.
Yeah, I also hate the word hobby. I think I probably used it myself as a way to minimize the importance of my non-moneymaking passions. I called playing percussion, gardening, tennis, music collecting and obsessive music magazine reading, "hobbies." I tried to fight off how society and media made earning money and moving up the ladder, buying a house, a fancy car, etc., the important things to focus on in life. But I wanted none of those things. Luckily my inner conflict with the predominant capitalistic force waned in recent years. Sped up by the pandemic.
Thanks for this piece, Andres. It's great to have so many passions!
Thank you, Steve! Yes, I admit I sometimes use it, but precisely with the intention of minimising certain things or activities that I know I won't prioritise. That's why I like to make a distinction between hobbies and passions.
The way I try to see it is: the harder I work and the more money I get, the more records I can buy, the more trips I can plan, and the more concerts I can attend. Win-win :)
Hi Andrés! There may be a few factors at work here. First, for some younger people, record collecting is purely an accessory to fandom (you know, the folks who don’t have a record player but buy albums of the artists they love). This segment of the record-buying population has been written about extensively in articles about the vinyl resurgence. But, deeper than that, is the old but tenacious notion that the arts are not a serious undertaking; they’re ornamental rather than essential. Thus, building a life around music (or any of the arts, for that matter) is viewed as something akin to a hobby. I’d like to think that this mindset has gone the way of the dodo, but I’m afraid it persists. As a music journalist, I still face this attitude from time to time. I’ve been in situations where I meet someone and they ask what I do. I’ve answered ‘journalist’ and they’re impressed, thinking I’m covering politics or wars or uncovering corruption. When they ask more specifically what I do, and I tell them I write about music, they often seem disappointed. Their facial expression changes and they say, “Oh, that’s nice.” Or, “That must be fun.” And, in a way - because I love my work - it is fun. But it’s so serious to me, as it clearly is to you, too. For me, music is life, pure and simple. Music centers me, grounds me, levitates me, thrills me, crushes me, and I can’t imagine my existence without it.
Hi Andrew! Thanks a lot for your comment. You raise very interesting points. I also think there's this misconception that anything artistic --or derivatives thereof, e.g. writing or curating in the field-- is a talent and, as such, does not require any real discipline, or training, or sacrifices, or real "hard work". Even the most talented artists in their field --and I dare say perhaps precisely the most talented artists-- have devoted untold amounts of time, effort, blood, sweat, tears and then some to perfect their craft and get better at what they do. Only those who know a little bit more than the average spectator will be able to truly appreciate the effort required to make certain things look or sound "effortless".
Completely agree with you: music is everything. I simply can't imagine what or where I would be without it.
¡Das justo en el punto! Sin duda la palabra tiene un peso específico insoslayable, más allá de que , como escritores, aprendamos a ensamblarlas para dar sentido a nuestros textos. He pasado días buscando ESA palabra que mejor defina mi sentir y mi pensar Comparto, esa palabra y no otra. ¡ Y comparto plenamente tu aversión por la palabra hobby, que degrada todo lo que alude! Abrazo!
Muchísimas gracias! Tal cual: las palabras pesan, y las elecciones importan. Qué horrible la palabra hobby: degrada e infantiliza las pasiones! Abrazo enorme!!
Hobbies have always felt like something that’s consigned to the activities of children. As a kid, I collected stamps. It was a hobby, not something I was passionate about, and most likely foisted upon me by one of my parents. But I think, as we get older, and as we begin to have a little more agency in our own lives, we begin to discover what we’re passionate about, and find ourselves devoting time to those passions.
I think that’s probably why the word “hobby”, when used by someone else, always feels a little patronizing to me. Like I’m being spoken down to, like my passions are childlike.
And that’s the power of words - they have impact, regardless of the intent.
I do sometimes hear people talk about their hobbies and I wonder why they refer to them in that way. It could be purely because they are simply a way to pass the time. But I sometimes wonder if it’s their own attempt to minimize the importance of these pursuits in their lives because they’re not seen as “serious” or “worthy”. It’s sad that we still live in a world where people may prefer to censor themselves and not be their fully authentic selves for fear of judgment or ridicule.
Thank you, Mark! The connection you make with childhood is spot on. I absolutely agree that when somebody else uses the word hobby to refer to one of our passions it can feel really patronising. When people refer to their own passions as hobbies, it makes you wonder whether they do it automatically, without really thinking of the wider implications of the word. We have to be careful with what we say. You have captured the essence of what I wanted to say in my post, and I thank you for reading so attentively.
Word should never be taken for granted, your choice of words is exactly that, your choice. You have different options when making a statement and you choose your words accordingly. Let's take a look at lyrics, we can all listen to the same song and come up with a different meaning and will most certainly have a different reason why that song resonates with us or does not.
Thank you, Bob! Your reference to lyrics is spot on. There’s so much in a word. What the speaker/author means, and what the listener/reader interprets.
Justo hace unos días aprendí en un espacio de historia que ciertos pueblos consideraban la palabra como un don divino, y el acto de mentir era condenado duramente, porque mentir era como despreciar ese don.
Ni hablar de lo que decimos a veces de nosotros mismos!
Qué genio que sos, te quiero mucho!!!
Gracias!! Qué interesante lo que comentás. Es impresionante cómo distintas culturas a lo largo de la historia han atribuido tanta importancia (y consecuencias) a la palabra.
Yo también te quiero mucho!!
Nice post. Some good commentary from readers too. I am quite envious of the Changing Priorities sign - would have been ideal for my last post. Will check out Unsplash.
Like all here, I understand and empathise with this dislike of the word 'hobby'. Words matter and a definition may help: "an activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure." I think it's the "done for pleasure" aspect that gives 'hobby' a bad name. It's not "done for money" is the thing.
I could write more but my brain has just closed in the attempt. 'A passion' sounds good and strong. Thanks for this lovely piece of writing.
Thank you, Benjamin! Readers comments never disappoint around here. I’m very lucky 😊
The photo is from the stock photo section of Substack — you can search by name or theme, e.g. priority. They’ve got some cool stuff!
Yes, there’s an element of the pleasure/work dichotomy that plays a role. This goes hand in hand with the prioritisation aspect I mention in the post: a hobby rarely gets prioritised because other things are considered more important. And therefore it’s never taken seriously enough.
Thanks again for stopping by and for your comment!
You're welcome. Stock photo section of Substack... great, thanks Andres.