17 Hobbies People Will Always Judge You For

Diverse forms of hobbies and pastimes exist. While some are universally accepted without concern, others often encounter negative judgment when brought up. A recent internet survey asked ‘What is a Hobby That Gets Judged Negatively?’ Here are the 17 best responses:

LARPing

“I was shunned for a couple days in the military for comparing a field op to LARPing.”

“My experience with LARPing was that more showed up once you had a problem player in your group. Usually, playing Brujah and try to cause scenes in public because Brujah is a rebel. We are rebels, don’t oppress us; we’re just in character. Those rebels got LARPers banned from so many places that LARPing died in our area for many years.”

Lockpicking

“People always gave me weird looks. I get it, but I only practiced on a padlock I bought.”

“Nothing like opening your first lock, though. It’s like an “I can’t believe I did it” feeling, even though all you did was rake back and forth for two minutes, and the lock opened.”

Dumpster Diving

“I’m totally for dumpster diving. People should be more aware of why companies throw things out, though. People often see excellent food thrown out; they don’t realize that the company that made that product has a recall because they found some pathogen/bacteria, and consuming it could be a serious issue for them or the larger public. Look up food recalls on suspiciously good dumpster hauls, people!”

Hunting

“Hunting gets so much Flack from people who don’t understand it and say hunting for food is fine, but sport is not. However, it’s almost universally illegal to shoot a game animal and not use the meat except for varmints. That is called wanton waste.”

“Most people think about hunters as if they’re doing it for fun, taking enjoyment out of killing an animal and just going around and shooting stuff. I would like a hundred pounds of elk meat for next year.

Video Games

Photo Credit: Shutterstock -Gorodenkoff.

“9/10 times the person judging plays bad mobile games or watches TikTok for 6 hours daily.”

“My fiancé gets mad at me for playing video games, but when we’re on the couch watching a movie or show, she’s scrolling through TikTok the whole time. But of course, I can’t say anything about it.”

Taxidermy

“I always found taxidermists a bit stuffy.”

“I used to love taxidermy, even though I wasn’t a hunter and never killed the animals. I gave it up because of all the flack from animal rights zealots.”

Figurine Collection

Photo Credit: WildSnap _ Shutterstock.com.

“My best friend has this huge collection of Warhammer 40K figures he is assembling and painting. Every time I go over there, he shows me his progress. I have yet to learn about Warhammer, but what he’s doing is pretty cool. Also, watching him get excited about it makes me happy.”

“You can have my premium cardboard square when you take them from my dead body.”

Thrift Shopping

“It’s getting some heat because some people buy and resell for profit. I have no problem with this. Thrift stores often end up bursting at the seams, and there’s enough for everyone.”

“I was talking to someone about thrifting because I like it too, and they wanted to know why I did it because my family is “well off” and don’t need to. Thrifting is for everyone, and there’s enough to go around.”

Target Shooting

“I wasn’t aware that these are judged negatively. I belonged to a pistol club where I used to live, and we had all kinds of competitive events. I love target shooting, although I don’t like competing since I wasn’t nearly as good as others.”

“Clay pigeon shooting is so much fun!”

Poker

“It’s technically a skill-based game in the long run, but people who don’t play poker see it as complete gambling and not a good hobby.”

“I made 22k in 2009 playing poker when the economy was in the dumps(I kept a spreadsheet). All my friends thought I was a gambling junkie losing money, and Let’s sit down at the poker table, 500 a piece, and see what happens. They still thought I was just a degen. I never really bragged about what I was making. (22k is a lot when you only make 35ish at your day job). I just counted the money and built the bankroll until I retired in 2012 from poker because the games dried up and became boring.”

Pole Dancing

“I see no problem in this. As far as I know, it’s physically demanding.

“I had an ex-girlfriend who did this for fitness and did a few competitions. It was the kind of hobby I found very easy to be supportive of – especially when she invited me to her competitions. It wasn’t a lewd thing at all; people had parents and friends show up for support, etc. – but it also just lots of beautiful women showing off their grace and athleticism. Fantastic.”

Being a Beginner in a Martial Art

“At a certain age, being a beginner in a martial art goes from cool to uncool. It becomes cool if you’re good at any age.”

“And the real kicker (pun not intended) is that it’s legitimately harder to find martial arts classes that aren’t specifically for kids.”

Horses

Photo Credit: AnnaElizabeth photography.

“I work hard for my horses. I’ve been working hard to pay for them for 20 years. It’s not my parents’ money; it’s mine. I can prioritize people I love over horses. They’re important to me but only sometimes come first. Yes, it’s expensive, but I am passionate about it, and I have one life to live, so I might as well do it before I settle down and may have to step back to raise a family.”

“There’s a big “horse girl”‘ stereotype that has made me almost nervous to tell guys I’m dating about it. Still, I’ve decided to let them see me for myself, and if they want to judge me based on this, then they aren’t the type of person I want to be with anyway.”

Comic Book Collecting/Reading

“Since all the blockbuster movies, the attempts at shaming are finally gone. Also, I never cared and enjoyed some good stories before they were on the screen. Dark Knight, Watchmen, Phoenix Saga, Swamp Thing, Kingdom Come, and Sutur Saga.”

“I, too, love reading and collecting comics. The older I get, the more I shy away from the superhero stuff and get into more horror/sci-fi/fantasy. I still read X-men, Wolverine, and Batman, but I’ve switched to more Image and Boom Studios comics now.”

Fishing

Photo Credit: Dudarev Mikhail.“I’m black and grew up fishing and crabbing around South Florida, both freshwater (bass boat) and saltwater. Went with my grandparents around the country in their RV that hauled a 30-foot pontoon boat during the summers. Nothing gets the blood flowing like being in a bass boat at 3am in Lake Okeechobee, and the only thing visible is a few dozen gator eyes reflecting off the flashlight.”

Skateboarding

“People think you’re always up to no good, especially the cops.”

“Could probably say the same thing about rollerblading, and even skaters hate them.”

Golf

“People think it’s a rich person’s game and that golf courses use too much water and take up space that could be used for a park or something.”

“There are rich people courses, and then there are the thousands of municipal courses with extremely reasonable rates. It’s still not the cheapest hobby, but it’s nowhere near as elitist as some like to say.”