Higher-Level Pursuits vs. Individual Happiness: The Moral Question of Hobbies
There is an inherent tension between different forms of happiness, between higher-level pursuits and whatever earthly pleasures or projects bring us authenticity and happiness in the here and now, in our earthly existence. I myself waffle frequently between these two modes—between the abstract and the concrete, between the future and the present, between my sense of obligation to something higher and the earthly pursuits and interests that bring me joy.
In probing the nature of the tension between higher-level pursuits or obligations and lower-level or more earthly pursuits, I don’t have a particular type of higher-level pursuit or obligation in mind. For some people it may be a religious commitment. For others it may be to increase our scientific understanding of the natural world or of the cosmos itself. For still others, like me, it might be the realm of the abstract or philosophical—perhaps even mathematical for the mathematician. These and similar higher-level pursuits are uniquely human, and may indeed carry a type of obligation to pursue them, if you subscribe to the view that we, as humans, have an obligation, of any sort, to use our uniquely human abilities to further the knowledge and progress of humankind as a species. Every academic, every educator, every abstract thinker, every cosmically-minded person likely feels some sense of obligation to use his or her uniquely human gifts and not to squander them idly.
In contrast to these higher-level pursuits stand the more earthly, lower-level, more immediate pleasures and pursuits. Among these I include hobbies, traveling, almost any form of consumerism, popular culture, a great many day-to-day relationship activities, personal projects without the cosmic significance that would place those projects into the “higher-level” category, and so on. I personally have many hobbies and interests that would seem to fall into this category: playing an instrument (although playing music may fall into both the higher-level and the lower-level category), my activities as a ham radio operator, outdoor activities like hiking or camping or fishing, podcasting, birdwatching and bird-feeding, watching new episodes of a television show (or even rewatching episodes of my old favorite television shows), writing poetry, and social time at a coffee shop. One could also include various forms of collection hobbies such as stamp collecting, coin collecting, and rock collecting; almost any form of outdoor sporting such as sailing, kayaking, rock climbing, and surfing; and even seemingly constructive hobbies such as crafting (cross-stitching, knitting, crocheting) and the fine arts (drawing, painting, sculpting, and so on).
Arguably these lower-level individual pursuits, hobbies, and projects give color and interest to one’s life. In some sense they define who we are as people and as individual subjects. They allow us to capture the sense of authenticity with which 20th-century existentialist philosophers were so concerned and preoccupied. And yet, there is something inherently self-interested, if not outright selfish, about these individual, earthly projects, pursuits, and hobbies. They add color and authenticity to one’s life but they do not have the moral force of obligation that the higher-level pursuits seem to have, at least on the surface.
One could argue, perhaps, that there is a deep and sometimes unappreciated connection, historical or otherwise, between the individual pursuits of some individuals and the higher-level achievements and understanding that those pursuits eventually fostered. Mendel’s keen interest in gardening, for example, culminating in his work on heredity of traits in pea plants, arguably kickstarted the modern science of genetics. Similarly, the pioneering work of amateur radio operators was responsible for many of the advances in radio communication that have made possible the modern information age with its many different forms of wireless information exchange, everything from wifi to the latest wireless communication protocols for the mobile device on which you are most likely reading this right now. So there is some historical precedence that today’s individual hobby or pursuit can sometimes be a foundational moment in some fundamental science that moves the progress of the human race forward. This seems true not merely in technology but also in the humanities. Vincent van Gogh or Pablo Picasso may merely have been pursuing the artistic visions that spoke to them as individuals, but they would also become turning points in the history of human art and culture.
The same seems true of the most significant musical artists and composers in the history of Western music, from Beethoven to The Beatles. Composers and songwriters may be creating works that speak to them subjectively as individuals, but in the process it is possible to change the entire course of musical history, and sometimes even of human culture itself. It would be a mistake, however, to think, retroactively, that because a particular hobbyist, artists, or musician actually did in fact change the world and is now seen as helping to have driven the human race forward, the hobbyist, artist, or musician had intended to change the world or was as forward-looking as he or she is later seen to be. The work of these transformational individuals is still often, if not always, self-interested, bringing pleasure, satisfaction, enjoyment, even sometimes catharsis to the individual pursuing the activities that speak to oneself and allow one to be maximally authentic or artistically expressive.
The relationship between these supposedly higher-level and lower-level pursuits is further complicated by the sometimes-conflicting values that we, in particular, hold as Americans. From the Declaration of Independence onward we have valued “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” As Americans we value our individual rights and freedoms to pursue whatever interests or course of action we choose for our own lives, as longs those actions don’t violate the intrinsic rights of others. The tension, and sometimes conflict, between individual liberties, individual rights, and our corporate and communal obligations is well-trodden territory, if sometimes under-appreciated by members of both sides of the political spectrum in the United States. But this is not the tension I am most interested in for the purpose of this article. I am most interested in the (potentially moral) tension between our freedom to pursue our own earthly projects (and the happiness and authenticity they bring to us as individuals) and the inner drive for progress that we also seem to have as a species, and sometimes as individuals.
Anyone who knows me also knows that I am a lifelong Star Trek fan. To some extent, I envision an ideal future for humanity out there among the stars, expanding the literal frontier of space and time and the metaphorical frontier of knowledge and human understanding. I share an optimistic vision of the future of humanity culturally, politically, socially, philosophically, morally, and otherwise. But that future won’t build itself. It would require the work, dedication, commitment, and focus of generation after generation of people to bring it to fruition, not just nationally but globally. I can’t imagine that the passion projects, interests, and hobbies we have as individuals will ever get us there. Indeed those individual pursuits may actually hold back that progress, if only because there is only so much time and effort possible within a single human lifetime, or for any particular generation collectively.
So the tension I see is this: to the extent one focuses on his or her own happy-making and fully-authentic earthly projects, that person is usually not also contributing to the overall progress of humankind toward some higher, more abstract, more cosmic, more idealistic goals. This means that you, as an individual, must choose how to spend your time—focusing either on self-interested pursuits (even the fully authentic ones) or on contributing your effort, time, resources, intelligence, and human gists toward the betterment or progress of mankind as a whole—to set your sights high or low, individually or communally, toward yourself and the scope of your own meager life or toward the future with the scope of all future humankind in your sights.
So do we fail to live up to our human obligations to look forward, to look to the heavens or to the stars, or to further the drive toward progress when we focus on our own individual projects in the quest for happiness and authenticity? Is there room enough for both in this short, human lifespan? Are we fulfilling our innate right to the pursuit of happiness by being individualistic, or do we have a moral obligation to sacrifice some of that individuality, or at least some of our time and effort, to push the human race forward? I myself often feel pulled in both directions, longing to be fully authentic by throwing myself fully into the hobbies and projects that, to a large extent, define who I am, but also longing to keep at least one eye trained on the future, and even to the stars above, even sometimes feeling guilty for the time I spend so immersed in my own projects that I forget to look forward and up.
Clearly a hybrid solution is called for. You should not be so focused on higher-level, abstract, or forward-looking pursuits that you neglect the present or neglect nurturing and watering the things that most authentically feed your soul. And even though we generally believe in the right to your own pursuit of individual happiness, whether as Americans or as a basic human right for all, the future also depends on the choices that we, as individuals, make today, both individually and collectively. So, if you have a high vision for what an ideal future can and should be like, either inspired by Star Trek or inspired by some other ideal vision for humanity, what are you choosing to do today to bring that future to fruition, and to will it into existence by your own efforts? What sacrifices are you willing to make in the present for the sake of a better future, not merely for yourself but for all of humanity?
