I wouldn’t count running as an “interesting hobby” unless you manage to be very successful, at which case anything becomes interesting. For example, most people would think it to be very cool to meet an olympic level sprinter. That said, it is possible that a hobby can provide many social benefits, as you have stated, without being “interesting”.
But most people are not going to be ‘very successful’, and I am going to automatically assume that this is not included, since it’s often statistically exclusionary (only a few people in the entire world can be olympic level sprinters).
I wouldn’t count running as an “interesting hobby” unless you manage to be very successful, at which case anything becomes interesting. For example, most people would think it to be very cool to meet an olympic level sprinter. That said, it is possible that a hobby can provide many social benefits, as you have stated, without being “interesting”.
But most people are not going to be ‘very successful’, and I am going to automatically assume that this is not included, since it’s often statistically exclusionary (only a few people in the entire world can be olympic level sprinters).
It is most certainly not required to be ‘great’ to be socially successful, or, for that matter, interesting. As for my opinion of the whole ‘greatness’ chase, see here: http://lesswrong.com/lw/mmu/how_to_learn_a_new_area_x_that_you_have_no_idea/cu3o
“But most people are not going to be ‘very successful’”—exactly