I have typical friends for that "philology". Always "happy is enough". But there are two types of joy: joy makes us grow up and joy makes us down. What we need to distinguish is not whether we are happy or not, but what kind of fun it is.
Some friends spend every Friday evening "relieving after a tiring work week". The first person chose to play football with friends, or do a few pickleball matches to " sweat". The other person chose to drink until late at night. Both of them have so-called interests. Both of them spend money, time, and energy. They say fun is fine. Then, after only 3-4 months, even 3 years - if looking back - the result was two opposite charts.
Sports enthusiasts can sleep better, endure better. That is the difference of the accumulation mechanism in each specific hobby. There are interests like savings with double interest: Each time playing is an increase in something - skills, health, relationships, thinking. There are habits such as spending by credit card: At first it felt comfortable, but then there was interest, debt, and prolonged fatigue.
Do you like to read books? After each book is read, it does not make you rich immediately, but a few years later you have better capital, a deeper knowledge base, and a deeper mindset - and all of that gradually makes you an irreplaceable person at work. Do you like playing the instrument? At first, it was pain in the hand, a broken heart, but then there was the ability to concentrate, aesthetically music, the ability to express emotions - all of which accumulated into a form of soft inner strength.
On the contrary, there are habits that make you work more and more... empty. Play games 8 hours a night, watch TikTok continuously for 3 hours a day, eight celebrity dramas, play social media as a reflection: Every free time is a shortcut, every boredom is a fuss, but after 2 hours, there is only fatigue and a feeling of loss - those things can be " Holidays", but the only reward is the feeling of escaping reality.
I read somewhere, a psychologist explained that, to know if a hobby or a joy is valuable, one must answer the questions: "Does that hobby create skills, health, or understanding that I can use in the future?" "Does it help me become more independent, more wise, or healthier?" and "After a period of continuous work, do you feel the need to do more or less?".
If the answer is no, then its probably not a hobby, but a way youre wasting your time comfortably.
The irony is: Accumulated interests are often not easy to profit from the beginning. They require effort, regularity, and sometimes pain. As for destructive hobbies, it is the opposite: It's easy, it's fun right away, it doesn't need to try. Participating in drinking parties seems easier than walking 10km or doing a 2-hour gym.
"As long as you are happy". Of course, the choice is in each person and that person will be responsible for the results of those preferences. So, are you ready to "have fun"?
