In praise of mediocrity

New York Times:

I’m a little surprised by how many people tell me they have no hobbies. It may seem a small thing, but — at the risk of sounding grandiose — I see it as a sign of a civilization in decline. Yes, I know: We are all so very busy. Between work and family and social obligations, where are we supposed to find the time?

But there’s a deeper reason, I’ve come to think, that so many people don’t have hobbies: We’re afraid of being bad at them. Or rather, we are intimidated by the expectation — itself a hallmark of our intensely public, performative age — that we must actually be skilled at what we do in our free time.

Interesting theory but I don’t agree with it. I think people don’t have hobbies because they don’t have the time or the money to pursue them. My favourite “hobby” is riding my motorcycle but I can’t do it as much as I’d like for many reasons, money being one of them.