Hobbies That Help
Exercises you do in the background
To conclude the introductory section of Architect of Thought, I want to write about leisurely activities and hobbies. What we do in the background shapes who and what we become. The more diverse our hobbies are, the more modalities our brain has to handle, the greater the payoff.
I argue that it’s better to be an apprentice in many things rather than a master in one. It’s a controversial take since high-level mastery has its advantages, but we talk about our ability to learn — which makes many attempts at learning many different things more valuable than reaching perfection in one specific field.
What’s out there?
Movement. Our mind learns to interact with the world through the body. Run, dance, juggle, lift weights, do martial arts. Ride a bicycle. Also, try riding a horse. Generally, interacting with animals is good in itself, too.
Sound. You can sing or play an instrument or just use everything as percussion. Go to the opera or a local gig. Listen to the soundscape of the city for a half hour. Oh, and you might have heard about throat singing — try it out as well.
Visuals. Draw a sketch, paint a picture, make something out of clay. Probably go to a local woodcarver or sculptor and ask to teach you the basics.
Physical structures. While the ultimate achievement in my understanding is to build a house all by yourself, you can start with small things: a bird feeder, a table, a bed.
Abstract structures. Math is the ultimate provider of these but there is plenty you can learn theoretically in other sciences. Again, a basic understanding of various concepts from different fields may add tremendous amounts of utility.
Language. Write words and fill them with meaning. Recite a poem. Learn lines from a play together with your friends and make a small show. Learn the core principles of a foreign language that is distant enough from your native one.
Mix it all together
Besides obvious pairs like juggling + music or building + decorating or lifting + fencing with a sword (which is fencing in heavy armor), try more intricate combinations.
Juggling and math? For sure.
Playing D&D in a foreign language? Absolutely.
Engineering. Seriously, do some engineering. I put it here because it is the ultimate amalgamation of many other skills. Engineering just taps into so many things!
You get the idea. Mix everything not only to discover novel modalities for your brain to learn to interact with but also to save your time: if you write a text in a language you are studying then you’re progressing in two disciplines at the same time. If you also write on the topic you have to become proficient at, it’s three skills you improve at once. Stack as much as possible to get the most out of it.
What else?
Out of hand, try to make mistakes on purpose. That will possibly broaden your latent solutions space. When we try to avoid mistakes we also omit useful outlier ideas. With time, we trim more and more of them. But if we give ourselves some freedom, we start to see a wider range of possibilities again.
Another idea. Develop at least partial ambidexterity. Eat with chopsticks, clean your teeth using either of your hands in turn. It’s also possible to draw or write with your sinister hand — anything like that is cool, just don’t spend too much time on those exercises. It’s more convenient to embed such things in your daily routines.
Depending on what you’re planning your life to be like, some of the following may be worth your time as well:
driving a car (the next level is a yacht or a plane);
getting prepared for some emergencies (it may save lives, too);
visiting a shooting range (may not only save lives).
I haven’t yet read the book this quote is from but I’ve known it for a long time and I think it completes this post quite… gallantly:
A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyse a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.
— Robert Heinlein, Time Enough for Love
If you are interested in what you’ve just read, I’d love you to:
subscribe to this newsletter,
join our Discord server,
and share it with your friends!
Disclaimer: all content in this newsletter and any associated platforms is for informational purposes only. It shouldn’t be construed as a call to action, medical, or psychological advice.
If you want to support Architect of Thought, feel free to do it on Patreon.