AIBU to have no hobbies

I have no hobbies and I genuinely worry about what I’ll do when I retire. There are things I CAN do, of course, but most of my interests are solitary pursuits, and ideally I’d like something that gets me out of the house and has a social aspect.

but nowhere near as interesting or fun!

Fantastic. Plus probably a bit more challenging than Art History. 😋

I did the best part of an LLB on the District Line.

I had a long daiky commute to work across London & could luckily usually get a seat whatever direction I was travelling. I did my degree in the evenings & I utilised that commute time very very well.

You're just going to make her look stupid if she goes around telling people her hobbies are having a bath and watching some telly.

😂

I like the sound of @Agrumpyknitter's knitting retreat in Italy. I'd like that but without the knittng.

I’m nearly 60 and never had what I’d call a hobby.

My free time is usually spent watching boxesets and socialising with friends.

Ive never been part of a club, played a sport, done any sort of crafting etc - I don’t feel like I’ve missed out tbh

I don't think it's an either, or. Did you have hobbies as a child and, if so, what were they?

Sounds like you're very busy which would naturally exclude hobbies to some extent, at least for now.

I'd say crack on and enjoy your life. Hobbies can be expensive and time-consuming. The dark side of hobbies could even include denial, withdrawal, selfishness and obsession. Think I'll give up hobbies like you. YANBU.

@AllProperTeaIsTheft I dunno..... when you get a really good bogie.....👃

@MasterBeth I know some people that do very specific out of the home hobbies that they seem to devote all their spare time too.
You know what..... they are the most boring people I have ever met 😂
It's like they have no life except work and that all important hobby.
I'd much rather have a conversation with someone about what TV programmes they watch or what types of bubble bath they use (I love bubble bath).

<shrug> Don't blame me - I didn't write the dictionary! Obviously there's a bit of an overlap. E.g. for most people cooking is a task or even a boring chore. But for some people it's a hobby. Nose-picking probably not.

How are you helping the OP's self-esteem by misdefining what hobbies are? You're just going to make her look stupid if she goes around telling people her hobbies are having a bath and watching some telly.

The OP wasn't wrong in realising she had no hobbies. She was wrong in believing that that mattered.

You don't have to have some structured outside interest - a hobby - if you don't want one.

Yes but the OP was feeling something wasn't "right" because she felt she had no hobbies.
Myself and others on this thread have pointed out that she does actually have some hobbies.
Saying things like "oh that doesn't count" really doesn't help someone's self esteem.
Not everyone has the means to go out and take part in activities outside of their home. Activities done for pleasure at home are just as valid.
They ARE hobbies.

I’ve just come back from a trip away with my hobby. I spent 5 nights away in Italy on a knitting retreat, having amazing food, cycling, enjoying dips in the sea and learning some new things as well as the company of some lovely women. There was little knitting done in the evening as we had lots of laughing, playing games and drinking but it was great we could talk about yarn, knitting patterns, colour as much as we liked. I hadn’t met any of them before either. I’m back home my cup is filled and I am happy to see my family. I knit on my commute into London, take it with me seeing family it’s very portable and soothing.

Of course it doesn't matter in the big scheme of life.

But in a Mumsnet thread about hobbies, it's kind of the point of the exercise.

@MasterBeth in the big scheme of life does it matter if someone wants to call watching TV or doing crosswords their hobby?
It's their life. Not yours.

By that definition, eating a Crunchie is a hobby. Picking your nose could be a hobby. Masturbation could be a hobby.

That's very much your own made-up definition though. The OED says a pastime is: 'activity that someone does regularly for enjoyment; a hobby'. It says a hobby is: 'an activity done regularly for pleasure'. Based on that, watching tv and reading definitely fit the description.

Watching TV is not a hobby! Doing cosplay at Doctor Who conventions or visiting all the locations in Game of Thrones is a hobby.

Having a bubble bath is never a hobby!!!

Watching TV or reading are not hobbies, neither are cooking, walking the dog or listening to music. They are pastimes.

A hobby, for me, involves a commitment of time, energy or money beyond the everyday. If you breed dogs or show dogs, if you play music in a band or run a classical music appreciation class, if you write a food blog or enter cakes into baking shows, that's a hobby.

That still makes no sense at all 😂

Not quite. I was exaggerating to make a point. My point is it is too weird not to have hobbies. And the exaggeration was that nobody else is like that, only the OP.

No hobbies here either, neither do my friends. My down time consists of a bath or shower and getting into bed with a cuppa at night.

You have more more hobbies than I do

No way! Perhaps I'm more interesting than I thought 😂

@Comedycook no if you don't have to do those things and you only do them because you enjoy and want to do them.....
they are hobbies 🙂