Many people think leisure and entertainment are same. However, there is a significant difference between them. A Leisure can be defined as activities that lead to relaxation from typically stressful lifestyle where as Entertainment is something that amuses or pleases us. A person having control over his impulses will engage in leisure activities but a person who is a slave to his impulses seeks entertainment. Engaging in leisure activities like socializing with friends, yoga relaxes and refreshes the mind. It gives a sense of control over mind, which is not experienced in routine life. While entertainment in the form of gambling, watching movies, playing video games, and other things do not emphasize on what is vital for you and do introspection. Entertainment engages the emotional brain and gives a positive mood swing. However, this done by creating an artificial reality.
Educated people who have a sense of knowledge engage into leisure activities to refresh their minds while kids do not. Entertainment is for those adults who have not grown up and still submit to their impulses.
It is possible to have a very healthy life with no entertainment as long as good leisure activities exist. When there are good leisure activities one can experience heaven on earth. However, if leisure activities cease to exist, hard working people will get very frustrated. A person has complete freedom to choose activities at leisure time that are enjoyable and gives peace of mind.
Only in a complex civilized society that we see people engaging in leisure time. People of societies where there is social security, standard of living is good, and income levels are good are seen mostly engaged in leisure activities. Mostly educated middle class persons having maturity, sensible thoughts, and having less impulsive behavior engage in leisure activities.
People undertake different activities to enjoy their leisure time. Some will play carrom, meditate, do yoga, and pursue hobbies, read books that give them feeling of enjoyment. Leisure activities are meant for winners since they typically have challenging stressful days. They need to relax to rejuvenate (freshen up). Only the person who works hard for entire weekdays can understand the importance of leisure on weekends.
Entertainment is something for those who are submitting to impulsive behavior or having loose definition of leisure. It is for the masses seeking excitement and extremes. The best examples of entertainment are WWF and realty shows. It is mostly restricted to those fun loving people having low IQ who just want to spend their time because they have nothing better to do. Some amount of indulgence in entertainment is fine. However, if you only do entertainment but not leisure activities, it is not a healthy lifestyle. People seek entertainment in order to escape from the unpleasant aspects or harsh reality of daily life. However, escapism itself carries a negative connotation suggesting that escapists are unhappy with an inability or unwillingness to connect meaningfully with the world.
Entertainment requires low IQ, less application and maturity. Entertainment is just fun. Typically, many entertainment activities require low skills. Only entertainment will lead to a very hollow and incomplete life.
A good leisure activity rejuvenates the mind through relaxation to help you get ready for a week ahead full of work. Engaging in leisure activities can connect you with reality with positive ways. It also relaxes the mind and could encourage learning, concentration, patience, and other good things. Entertainment without your knowing builds unrealistic viewpoints and too much of it makes it difficult for you to connect with the real world. People addicted to entertainment struggle to live in the normal world. The real world may appear too boring, too mundane, and too uneventful to them.