If you look down on everything you can’t enjoy life

Growing up in Swindon, UK, it’s normal for a person not to have any hobbies or interests. I had many friends and family who didn’t do anything after work or school and many of them still don’t to this day. In Swindon, the people are very sceptical of hobbies and interests as they’re “gay”.

People in Swindon think doing most things is, in their words, “gay”. This means lame, sad or corny. It’s a hillbilly way to describe things you don’t like or understand. You can have hobbies and interests but they must be popular and generic, that way you won’t get ridiculed. It’s the nature of growing up in a small-minded town.

Example: It’s ok to like sports like football, but it’s gay to like art as it’s too out there.

But what you ended up with is a person who’d criticise themselves into a corner. Because they’d label everything lame they wouldn’t do anything with their lives. This creates an angry boring person whose highlight of the week is making fun of others online for participating in life.

No one who sits at home doing nothing all day is happy or fulfilled. They’re bitter and hateful towards people who are doing things and enjoying their lives. They’re extra critical when these people fail as it’s an “I told you so moment”. Now they can criticise openly and feel justified.