Top: Recreation (505)
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Overview |
Recreation is the undertaking of activities in
spare time not spent working and sleeping. Such activities usually offer a
balance of relaxation from work and stimulation from relaxation. Recreation
involves pursuing personal interests and includes games, sports, video
games, watching television and movies, listening to music and the radio or
participating in outdoor activities such as tramping and fishing. Eating,
although necessary to survive, has turned into a recreational and
entertaining activity pursued in free time to gain personal satisfaction.
In developed western societies weekends and holidays are devoted to
recreation and people often travel during longer holidays or on periods
taken off work called vacations. Recreational activities may also be played
professionally as an occupation, at which point they are no longer types of
recreation. Recreation may cause controversy or be considered unreligious or
immoral, such as in the case of drug-taking, variations of sexual activity,
gambling, exposure to sexually-oriented entertainment and literature or
nudism.
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Hobbies |
A hobby is a recreational activity which
is undertaken in spare time not occupied by other activities. Hobbies are a
form of work purely for enjoyment that offers no financial benefit and may
even involve some financial loss. However, many involve a high level of
knowledge and skill.
Although hobbies are often a form of socialization, an intense interest in a
particular hobby may also lead to someone being identified as a
non-conformist in society. The term "geek" is often used to describe a
person with an intense or obsessive interest in a particular field, such as
computer programming, the Star Trek television program, mathematics, video
games, comics and history. Although the term refers largely to those with an
interest in computer-related topics, it can even include those with a strong
interest in sports.
While some hobbies would not be offered as occupations, many are
professions, such as cooking, computer programming, astronomy and sports. In
such cases hobbyists are considered amateurs in their field, although they
may often contribute largely to it. Many of the major developments in
astronomy and other sciences were made by hobbyists. The development of
Yahoo!, Google and Linux, like many developments in the computing field, are
examples of the work of amateurs.
More:
Subcultures,
Work,
Computers
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Competition |
Although the primary purpose of all forms of
recreation is to gain enjoyment, most recreational pursuits have a
competitive nature. Competition can offer excitement, enjoyment, reward and
recognition, and is the essential aspect of all true sport. However,
competition can be so strong that it limits the participant's enjoyment of
the activity and may lead to a lack of sportsmanship among competitors.
In many recreational pursuits, people aim to break records. Records are
measurements or feats that surpasses any other previously recorded. The
release of the Guinness Book of Records first developed strong worldwide
interest in world records for recreational pursuits and thousands have
attempted to get the highest or lowest measurement in their given pursuit.
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Leisure |
Activities which are not compulsory,
competitive or essential are considered leisurely. This includes time not
spent working, homemaking, learning or doing difficult or unpleasant tasks.
Quality time, although considered obligatory, is a form of leisure.
Relaxation is an essential part of leisure and all forms of leisure should
not require excessive exertion of energy. Equally, however, they should not
lead to the boredom of the participant.
Leisure may take the form of non-competitive active recreation which is done
purely for fun and enjoyment. Sport and exercise, particularly if it is
light, may be considered leisurely. Inactivity may also be considered
leisure, such as sun-bathing, reading, sleeping or lying still in a relaxed
and enjoyable manner. Such inactivity may be considered lazy and disapproved
of, but it can be seen to have some health benefits.
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