Is there a difference between men and women when it comes to hobbies?

Maybe it's my friends but I notice that the guys seem to develop more hobbies that they can do at home at any time as opposed to the girls who are more event based.

Guys: Computer based things, DIY, vehicles, brewing, gaming, etc.
Girls: Yoga, jogging, shopping, etc.

Any truth to it?

kevc2

Why not take a poll? I have a few hobbies and I'm a guy.

Dozen Wicked Words

If you are looking for stereotypical hobbies associated with women you could have scrapbooking, knitting, cross stitch, baking, sewing, card making etc etc so there are probably just as many hobbies that can be done at home.

Stereotypes probably not accurate these days though.

So, no, there doesn't appear to be any truth in it op.

looking_around

No there's no truth to it.
I have my anytime at home hobbies and out and about hobbies.

I assume this goes for any gender, who likes to have a mix of in and out of the home.

eviltwin

I'm female, my hobbies are reading, running and movies. Anyone of either gender does those.

Mint Aero

My hobby is pneumatic air lifting

Wang King

I've only one hobby...the clue is in the name

Chancer3001

An awful lot of girls I know have zero hobbys

Mister Vain

Fapping.

Vandango

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Guys: Computer based things, DIY, vehicles, brewing, gaming, etc.
Girls: Yoga, jogging, shopping, etc.

Any truth to it?

Nope. As a man, I have zero interest in vehicles. Drinking beer yes, but I have feck all interest in brewing it. I leave DIY to the professional and my brother built my current PC for me.

folamh

Football is event based. Mens be kicking balls and wimmins be shopping, amirite?

stimpson

If the Bible has taught us nothing else -- and it hasn't -- it's that girls should stick to girl's sports, such as hot oil wrestling and foxy boxing and such and such.

fleet_admiral

Im a male that quite partial to a spot of ironing. I also love gardening

Idjit

Ads by Google wrote: »

Maybe it's my friends but I notice that the guys seem to develop more hobbies that they can do at home at any time as opposed to the girls who are more event based.

Guys: Computer based things, DIY, vehicles, brewing, gaming, etc.
Girls: Yoga, jogging, shopping, etc.

Any truth to it?

Hobbies that my female friends seem to have are: graphics design, photography, writing for blogs/books/online articles, martial arts/boxing, sports (not me, I'm a lazy sod!), video games (definitely me, see the previous 'lazy sod' note), dancing, horse riding, playing musical instruments (one friend is a very talented drummer, much to my envy) and various arts and crafts or drawing/painting.

Hobbies my male friends seem to have are: All of the above except dancing. One of them is a fantastic acrobat however (again much to my lazy envy!)


I think it's all just based on the particular group of friends you have, OP! Definitely no truth to a difference that I can see in mine anyway

Calina

Ads by Google wrote: »

Maybe it's my friends but I notice that the guys seem to develop more hobbies that they can do at home at any time as opposed to the girls who are more event based.

Guys: Computer based things, DIY, vehicles, brewing, gaming, etc.
Girls: Yoga, jogging, shopping, etc.

Any truth to it?

Eh nonsense. You've forgotten all that sporty GAA and surfy and running and cycling stuff it seems every male of my acquaintance does. Also, shopping is not a hobby, it's a trial. Jesus.

Some people cover the gamut. I do the sporty swimmy stuff, the sporty photography stuff, a metric tonne of needlework, reading and listening to the music.

This whole pattern recognition thing that the humankind thinks it can do, it really sucks at,.

libelula

Shopping is not a hobby. Fcuk sake like, it's going to the shops to get things that you need.
Hobby my arse.

Sheep Lover

Vandango wrote: »

Nope. As a man, I have zero interest in vehicles. Drinking beer yes, but I have feck all interest in brewing it. I leave DIY to the professional and my brother built my current PC for me.

It's more that you're useless at most things than anything then?

Ads by Google

Ads by Google wrote: »

Maybe it's my friends but I notice that the guys seem to develop more hobbies that they can do at home at any time as opposed to the girls who are more event based.

Guys: Computer based things, DIY, vehicles, brewing, gaming, etc.
Girls: Yoga, jogging, shopping, etc.

Any truth to it?

My girlfriends do BJJ and capoeira with me. And my crazy DIY projects. And I do meditation and yoga with them. And I jog more than they do. And while yes I brew - they drink it more than me And as for gaming - they have a big thing for Dragon Age.

And the older of the girls twice a year sticks a tent and a cooker on her back and does a run through the wicklow hills. Once in the height of summer and once the height of winter. And she runs the entire wicklow way over a weekend.

So I am the WORST guy alive to validate your stereotypes

anncoates

Obviously there's exceptions (and I know some) but in my experience, men generally do seem more prone to getting anal about interests: collections, categorization, cultivation of 'expertise' etc.

YFlyer

[Deleted User] wrote: »

My girlfriends do BJJ and capoeira with me. And my crazy DIY projects. And I do meditation and yoga with them. And I jog more than they do. And while yes I brew - they drink it more than me And as for gaming - they have a big thing for Dragon Age.

And the older of the girls twice a year sticks a tent and a cooker on her back and does a run through the wicklow hills. Once in the height of summer and once the height of winter. And she runs the entire wicklow way over a weekend.

So I am the WORST guy alive to validate your stereotypes

Does your girlfriends do BJJ against each other?

thecamcam

BJJ, what is this , its sounds nice ?

worded

libelula wrote: »

Shopping is not a hobby. Fcuk sake like, it's going to the shops to get things that you need.
Hobby my arse.

What kind of things do you get up to with your arse hobby ?

I like a bit of Vodoo myself.

We do and they do.

It is a martial art you do on the floor Not sure the innuendo is any better given that description. But it has won a few MMA champtionships

DoYouEvenLift

Chancer3001 wrote: »

An awful lot of girls I know have zero hobbys

Actually same I've noticed. The ones who actually do have hobbies are the best educated ones and overall interesting and most genuine people as well. Should probably only associate with people like this anymore being honest.


I've been told that 'Facebook and Instagram' were a big hobby by someone recently. I was drinking so didn't read much into it then but the next day I remembered how they were completely serious.

One eyed Jack

thecamcam wrote: »

BJJ, what is this , its sounds nice ?

Brazilian Ju-Jitsu, not nearly as sexy as it sounds


Fcuk it, I dropped a stitch! :mad:


*knit one, purl one, knit one, purl one*

Yep, I find knitting very relaxing as a hobby, and speaking of purl, I also know how to program in perl, though I don't have much of a use for it these days, definitely more of a hobby, just to keep my programming skills up to date

I'm also quite nifty with a GHD and Bobby Brown make-up, can do a mean upstyle with a smokey eye, and I'm a regular follower of the latest off the catwalks in Milan, Paris and New York

Really couldn't tell you the first thing about football or... well, any sports really, and I'd have an idea about engines but I'd rarely get my hands dirty. Just no interest in motoring or cars once it gets me from A to B and I know which side the petrol tank door is on :pac:

LadyAthame

Some of the hobbies I picked up I was waay outnumbered by men. And other hobbies I have women waay outnumber the guys. Acting dance music art etc I notice more girls. Chess, card games, RPGing way way more guys. It's actually odd to face such gender disparity to me. I prefer environments where there is a good mix. Some girls find some of the things i'm into weird. Running seems to gave more men...in the gym people seem to divide along gender lines.

My subject in college was mostly guys. Nearly all of the figures/authors in it are guys.

I am a girlie girl. I am my own person though.

lulu1

Cant see my oh joining me at the sewing machine ant time soon

HardenendMan

In general I would say it's true that men have more hobbies. I think this is because men are more susceptible to boredom.

My wife's only hobby is constantly redecorating and cleaning the house. Legend.

SparkySpitfire

HardenendMan wrote: »

My wife's only hobby is constantly redecorating and cleaning the house. Legend.

I'm one of those, when the mood strikes...I find cleaning, well...fun

I like other things too I swear :pac:

Phil Mitchell

My hobbies are drinking, gambling and watching sport. I'm very basic.

Shenshen

Looking at me and my husband, the main difference seems to be that I have hobbies (reading, cooking, cycling, swimming, painting, baking), while he doesn't.

He might tinker with the car or his motorbike when they need it occasionally, and take the bike for a half hour spin on the odd sunny Sunday, but other than that he has more interests than actually hobbies (as in, watching sports rather than getting engaged himself).

DEFTLEFTHAND

I know there is exceptions but men and women in general do have different interests don't they? I don't get why some people have such a problem with this, we're different, who cares?

whupdedo

Deleted User wrote: »

My girlfriends do BJJ and capoeira with me. And my crazy DIY projects. And I do meditation and yoga with them. And I jog more than they do. And while yes I brew - they drink it more than me And as for gaming - they have a big thing for Dragon Age.

And the older of the girls twice a year sticks a tent and a cooker on her back and does a run through the wicklow hills. Once in the height of summer and once the height of winter. And she runs the entire wicklow way over a weekend.

So I am the WORST guy alive to validate your stereotypes

2 girlfriends ??? You poor bastard

Links234

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

I know there is exceptions but men and women in general do have different interests don't they? I don't get why some people have such a problem with this, we're different, who cares?

How much of that difference is societal though, that is the question? Society has very different expectations for girls right from the start, so it's obviously not so simple as we're different.

Mister Vain

Well plenty of men and women are doing tag rugby now. Some of the women are out performing men in the gym. And more men are doing the likes of yoga and stuff. Gamers were almost always guys, but more and more girls are getting into it now.

Calina

Links234 wrote: »

How much of that difference is societal though, that is the question? Society has very different expectations for girls right from the start, so it's obviously not so simple as we're different.

Or society has very different expectations for boys right from the start, so it's obviously not so simple as we are different.

Without wanting to labour the point, one of the key issues for women is that the male way of doing things is perceived as the default and that women are the different ones. And that also damages men - think about the perception of men who do express their feelings, and comments about men who cry. There's little narrative which suggests that it's okay for men to have sad feelings or to feel stressed, or to feel overwhelmed.

Back with the hobbies, while I stand over the assertion that shopping is not a hobby, it has to be said that most men of my acquaintance love shopping provided it is B&Q, a cycle shop or some other shop which speaks to their own interests.

The thing is, the OP, I think, wasn't highlighting so much that women/men had different hobbies, but that men tended to do more solitary activities than women. It's possible that part of the issue - having read this thread - is different perceptions of what constitutes a hobby too. I mean, watching a television is very clearly a pastime and yet one or two posters have suggested that it didn't constitute a hobby.

DEFTLEFTHAND

Links234 wrote: »

How much of that difference is societal though, that is the question? Society has very different expectations for girls right from the start, so it's obviously not so simple as we're different.

I think nature plays a significant part as well, you see it young children, we're not the same and I don't think thats anything to be ashamed of. Every mammal species records differences in male and female behaviour, the Orca for instance which has been the subject of many studies.

Mister Vain

There is the acceptance factor from your partner too. As an avid photographer I sometimes shoot boudoir and art nudes. I know some women would not be happy with their fella doing that. Similarly if you have a big motorbike or a set of drums that's taking up a lot of space, that could create a problem.

whupdedo

whupdedo wrote: »

2 girlfriends ??? You poor bastard

I am quite often broke yes

Birneybau

You see, women's hobbies are like 'doo be doo be doo", while men's are hobbies are like "ba da ba da".

Miall108

Working in the Kitchen isnt exactly a hobby for women. Its their gender role

Censorsh!t

My two main hobbies are reading and painting. I also enjoy a bit of hiking and love exploring old ruins or abandoned sites!

I've taken a break this year (because of lots of college work) from archery but hope to get back into it soon.


I'm a girl. As someone said earlier, I have also noticed that many of my girl friends don't have hobbies. I don't know what they do with their time! It just seems kind of sad.

Yurt2

Links234 wrote: »

How much of that difference is societal though, that is the question? Society has very different expectations for girls right from the start, so it's obviously not so simple as we're different.

http://www.wired.co.uk/magazine/archive/2013/01/features/why-men-risk-it-all/page/3

Certain ideologies seek to dismiss the very real biological differences between men and women and assign outcomes and patterns of behavior to societal 'push' factors. For instance the presence of testosterone in men doesn't just manifest itself physically, but mentally in how we approach tasks. I think it's a large reason why you see men more prominent in STEM roles. A British chess Grandmaster came out recently also and questioned why there so few women at the elite end of the game. Curious, as it is a game where ostensibly, men should have no real advantage. He basically said that for whatever reason, it held young males interest more and they wore more likely to follow through with the sport, and that young girls dropped it for other things. Feminists would of course seek to blame patriarchy somehow, and claim that girls are pushed out of the sport.

Please note, I am not saying that males are more intelligent. I am suggesting that there are important biological and evolutionary reasons for why males and females act differently. Not everyone is on a binary and there sliding scales of behavior and pull and push factors towards all activities.

UCDVet

At first glance my wife and I seem a bit backwards - my latest hobby is cooking. Her last hobby was probably video games (we both played but she was waaay more into than me).

What's interesting (to me at least) is how we both approach the same hobby. When we played computer games (World of Warcraft) I wanted to maximize my character's stats and to complete the objectives. She enjoyed chatting with other people in our guild and being part of their team. I'd get bored with the game, but she made some really good friends by making it a social activity. As a result, I'd go do something else, and it wasn't long before she had a higher level character than me....but she didn't even *care* about the level. It was just 'something to do' while she hung out with her online friends.

When she cooks it's usually because she wants X. If she wants cookies, she'll cook cookies. And she'll do it however she wants.

When I cook, I think of it more as basic chemistry than anything else. I have Excel spreadsheets, use scales (two different ones so I can get sub-gram measurements). My current goal is to make a particular type of pizza, I figure it'll take at least 30 attempts before I can make a great pizza, I meticulously record how I prep everything, changing one control variable at a time, keep track of all the timings with a stop watch....it's like a mild OCD type obsession. At this point, I'm *sick* of the pizza, I don't want to eat the pizza, but I want to be able to make a really good pizza, and I won't get better without cooking more of them, making adjustments, and cooking even more.

No point to this story. I see now that I'm a crazy, weird man though.

UCDVet

UCDVet wrote: »

At first glance my wife and I seem a bit backwards - my latest hobby is cooking. Her last hobby was probably video games (we both played but she was waaay more into than me).

We are not so far off that either. The girls are all but banned from the kitchen. They can not even boil and egg or make toast without some kind of disaster. So I do all the cooking. And they would be more inclined to play a computer game than me - or watch the entire season box set of some vampire or scifi or fantasy show in one sitting.

Hard to say that anyone is verifying any stereotypes on this thread are we

Sh1tbag OToole

Calina wrote: »

Back with the hobbies, while I stand over the assertion that shopping is not a hobby, it has to be said that most men of my acquaintance love shopping provided it is B&Q, a cycle shop or some other shop which speaks to their own interests.

B&Q is a terrible shop, overpriced and filled with cheap Ch1nese sh1te. Can't imagine someone would go in there for fun

Menas

Sh1tbag OToole wrote: »

B&Q is a terrible shop, overpriced and filled with cheap Ch1nese sh1te. Can't imagine someone would go in there for fun

But they have the biggest hardware shops in the country. So if you like DIY as a hobby then it is great for browsing around to get ideas etc.

RonanP77

I'm a fella and I don't know if my hobbies are typical male things.

Swimming, running, both trail and road cycling (love Duathlons and adventure races and I'm training for a Triathlon) gardening (both trees/shrubs and veg, not so much with flowers) and a little gaming in the winter. I used to love boxing and kickboxing but I'm 37 now so too old for that.

I really have no idea what any of my mates hobbies are because I rarely see them since I moved out of town 8 years ago. I have a lot of female relations and acquaintances that are big into running but not so much swimming or cycling.

Bubolor

Links234 wrote: »

How much of that difference is societal though, that is the question? Society has very different expectations for girls right from the start, so it's obviously not so simple as we're different.

I'd say the majority of the difference is due to difference in brain structure and hormones.