A more mature hobby

[Sillyman]

Sometimes I tell people about my hobbies, my love of D&D, comic books, video games, and cartoons, and I get the reaction that I need to "grow up". A "mature" person doesn't need such things in there life and that they are obviously "for little kids". Really then, I have to wonder, what is a "mature" hobby?

 

[QuickDuck]

I have no idea, but your's sound pretty normal to me

maybe butterfly collecting?

 

[Black_Bird]

Coin collecting.

 

[perks]

Philatelics

 

[Black_Bird]

Just to clarify; I like D&D too.

 

[Nora]

Mature Hobbies:

collecting belly button lint
playing "pop go the arthritic joints"
hide and go seek (aka "where the fuck are my glasses?)
Name that Disease!
Accountant baiting

 

[perks]

satanist


















HAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!

 

[Spinaroonie]

First posting.

 

[Black_Bird]

satanist

Only on the weekends; the rest of the week I'm a good little Gnostic.

 

[just pet]

Attending organ recitals








And my heart has a murmur, and my liver is shot, and my bladder leaks...

 

[perks]

Only on the weekends; the rest of the week I'm a good little Gnostic.

When you start doing the fun stuff let me know.

 

[Marxist]

I agree with whomever called those hobbies immature. They are pretty much loner type activities.

D&D is a fantasy about power and an alternate view of life based on someone else's vision. Ditto for comic books and video games.

I guess more mature hobbies would involve creating your own views of reality or alternate reality.

Children immitate the actions of others with the intention of learning. Adults simply create.

That doesn't mean you should give up any of the above activities just to appear more grown up. If they bring you a great deal of comfort, well keep on keepin' on.

 

[Black_Bird]

D&D is a fantasy about power and an alternate view of life based on someone else's vision.

You've never played RPG's, have you?

 

[Private Vasquez]

I find sexual relations to be a nice hobby.

 

[Marxist]

You've never played RPG's, have you?

You've never had pussy have you?

 

[Nora]

I find sexual relations to be a nice hobby.

Well yeah, that's ok too. But you really should see my collection of broken 8-track tapes! I have this Mahavishnu Orchestra one where you can see the tape stretched out just before the break! Man, that's some good times I'll tell ya!

 

[Black_Bird]

Sure, I've had pussy; ate chinese for lunch. Point?

 

[pipercatt]

Sure, I've had pussy; ate chinese for lunch. Point?

ouch.

 

[Sillyman]

A fantasy based on some else's vision would describe almost every TV show, every movie, every work of art and many works of literature. Few adults I have noticed spend the majority of their free time in creation of anything.

Role-playing actually allows much more personal creativity and vision than many of the above as well. While D&D does provide certain guidelines, it serves as more of a toll than a restrictive force on my own creativity and vision. It provides me with a greater interactive role and therefore more creative than any of the above as well.

These are not loner hobbies either. We have rather large communities of people who enjoy these things. We have conventions and parties and gatherings, and our hobbies help as an incredible bonding mechanism to bring people together, people who are more diverse than you may at first imagine.

 

[Guru]

 

[Marxist]

A fantasy based on some else's vision would describe almost every TV show, every movie, every work of art and many works of literature. Few adults I have noticed spend the majority of their free time in creation of anything.

Role-playing actually allows much more personal creativity and vision than many of the above as well. While D&D does provide certain guidelines, it serves as more of a toll than a restrictive force on my own creativity and vision. It provides me with a greater interactive role and therefore more creative than any of the above as well.

These are not loner hobbies either. We have rather large communities of people who enjoy these things. We have conventions and parties and gatherings, and our hobbies help as an incredible bonding mechanism to bring people together, people who are more diverse than you may at first imagine.

If you enjoy those activities and find them to be exciting and fulfilling then you don't need me to bring you down and say they're stupid. They aren't.

HOWEVER, RPG is much like Lit's own SRP. It's singular. Have you ever tried to read one that you're not participating in? Boring and insular would best describe the general feeling. But I'm sure those participating think it's the most exciting thing in the world.

 

[dreamer]

Wow, and I just lost a lot of my respect for Marxist in one statement...I'm hoping he's just stirring shit here...

sheesh..

As for your hobby list...sounds pretty grown up to me. It just depends on how your hobby manifests more than what it is in the first place.

Lets take the suggestion of coin collecting...a small child could like shiny coins...keep them in a special jar and be a coin collector. They could have one of those little fold out cards to save quarters from each state in. Hardly a 'mature' manifestation of a hobby. On the other hand it is pretty easy to imagine how coin collecting can get serious in a hurry (and I'm not talking about $$)

The same follows for your choices. I'll throw in my 2cents re: RPGs while I'm here. Yes as a childs hobby RPS are pretty much as Marxist summed up...but anyone who has grown up playing games knows that mindset is grown out of in a relatively short period of time.

I liken RPGs to writing...although the comparisons one could make are probably as diverse as the people playing. I have always invisioned gaming as a chance to tell a story, one person responsible for the setting and events and one person each for the main protagonists of the story. Hence, the huge influx of 'fantasy' type books out there in the last 20 or so years. I believe there is a direct corrolation.

You are plenty normal...and like so many with similar intrests you suffer the 'dealing with people that don't know what they're talking about' issues.

Try an open mind Marxist. We all have to admit we don't know everything about everything. Maybe there is something to this topic you don't know all about?

 

[Marxist]

I'm not shit-stirring.

D&D is a fine activity, but it's sort of like playing Monopoly and pretending you really are the shoe.

Not exactly the pennacle of creativity.

 

[Sillyman]

I consider Marxist a friend, this is just a rather insignificant issue we disagree on. No biggie.

As for what Marxist said, yes from the outside they can be quite bland. So can a movie or book that someone else tells you about if you aren't directly experiencing it. Being drawn in is a natural part of the escape, and if you aren't then naturally it would seem boring.

 

[dreamer]

I've always thought very highly of him as well...my problem is his statements just aren't true. It is nothing like pretending to be the shoe...at least not in my experience. I imagine one 'could' play that way...but why?

As for being uninteresting to the outside? Why are there so many bestsellers that are essentially role-playing experiences put on paper?

<shrug> Like you said...a fairly minor point to dissagree on. I imagine if there's to be dissagrements it's far preferable to be about something this trivial.

I've just noticed over the past 20 years or so the maturity of 'gaming' go through the roof. It's a trend that I wish the public image at large would reflect. Oh well...if wishes and buts....