Interests vs Hobbies
Interests refer to things or activities that a person is curious or concerned about. They are subjects or qualities that evoke his attention. They can be things that someone does as a pastime or a leisure activity or those that he wants to have an occupation in. There are various interests that a person might be enthusiastic about.
A person might be interested in things or activities that involve animals so he might work or find leisure in the care and breeding of animals. He might have interests in the arts so the right job for him would be those that involve working with forms and designs. He can also spend his time and enjoy creating works of art.
Hobbies, on the other hand, refer to activities that a person does for pleasure and relaxation. They are usually done during his leisure time or during times that he does not have anything to work on.
‘Hobby’ acquired its name from the wooden toy called the hobby horse which was ridden like a real horse. The expression ‘to ride one’s hobby horse’ means to follow a favorite pastime which led to the use of ‘hobby’ as a term for recreation. It is done for pleasure and enjoyment so there is no monetary reward for its practice. It may include activities like:
� Collecting, which involves the acquisition of items that interest a person like stamps or things that a famous person owned.
� Games, which are recreational activities that involve mental and physical stimulation.
� Outdoor recreation like caving and mountain climbing.
� Performing arts like singing, dancing, or performing magic.
� Creative hobbies such as photography or making jewelry and artistic projects.
� Scale modeling which is the creation of small replicas of certain things.
� Cooking or the art of food preparation for consumption.
� Gardening, which can be indoor, water, or container gardening.
� Reading books, magazines, or comics.
A person’s interests can be a source of income or can be something that he just does without compensation. If a person is interested in cooking and likes to create dishes, he can either cook just for himself or his family, or he can make it a source of income.
Hobbies like stamp and game card collecting cannot be a source of income for a person, but there are times that the things collected can be sold. Hobbies often led to invention and discovery. Many celestial bodies are discovered by amateur astronomers or hobbyists.
Summary:
1. Interests are activities or things that a person might be curious or concerned about while hobbies are things or activities that a person does for relaxation and enjoyment.
2. A person’s interests can be various and may lead to his generating an income or making a living out of it while his hobbies do not have any monetary rewards.
3. Hobbies are usually done during a person’s free time or during times that he doesn’t have to work. His interests can be done during his free time or while working as in the case of having his interests as a source of income.