You can keep saying it’s hideous to feel morally superior for yourself but it’s not working here. Rhetorical analogies? There is no rhetorical analogy here it’s a fair analogy. Plenty of people take up woodworking and it is definitely one of the most impractical hobbies out there. Most people do not think they are going to derive net positive value out of woodworking.

Respecting the subject on its own terms?

What happened to you, did you just come back from reeducation camp or something?