Recently I’ve been thinking about the difference between “amusement” and “recreation.” There’s some similarity, but I find it interesting how the origin and definition of the terms differ. “Amusement” (a-muse) carries the idea of something that diverts our attention, while “recreation” (re-create) denotes the idea of something that renews or restores—literally, to “re-create.”
And although there can be overlap, I wonder how many times we get these two types of activity confused? We’re tired, we’re worn out, and we need something to rejuvenate us—i.e. we need to experience true recreation. But instead of engaging in things that re-create us, we end up enjoying some amusements—i.e. things that divert our attention—but which don’t provide the renewal or refreshment that we really need.
What’s the difference between these two types of activities? Typically recreational activities are more active and less passive than amusements—where we’re actually engaged physically or mentally in the activity, and not just passively consuming it. Of course the details will vary from person to person, but the tell-tale sign is the effect it has on us. Does the activity actually renew us, energize us, refresh us? Or was it merely a way to pass the time, and in the end will we still feel like we did before?
Because if we need recreation, it’s important we don’t unwittingly spend too much of our time on things that won’t deliver.