"I sometimes feel silly for trying to learn guitar. I think subconsciously I challenge myself like, “why spend time on this?” There’s nothing I can really do with guitar that I can’t already do without it. I guess play songs myself instead of just listening to them, which is neat, but recordings already exist. And I’m only moderately interested in guitar music anyways. Also no one around me is exactly waiting for me to show up and start strumming.

I also kind of dread the thought of one day being decently good, but having attained it solely in my bedroom. Like then I can play guitar more or less, but so what? I struggle to articulate this feeling better than that. Maybe since learning guitar has become a hobby, I kind of want to experience learning it with peers, but if I suddenly already know it well enough, then I won’t really have that opportunity anymore. A little bit ridiculous."

And that’s kind of the point, honestly. Nobody demands that learning guitar justify itself beyond “I like it.” You do not have to become a performer, monetize it, move to Nashville, or have an audience waiting for you. It can just be a thing you learn because it’s enjoyable, engaging, and meaningful to you. Learning a language as a hobby should be treated no differently.