what is a surrogate activity

A surrogate activity is an activity that is directed towards an artificial goal that an individual pursues for the sake of fulfillment that they get from it. It is a term used to describe an activity that people set up for themselves in order to feel productive or fulfilled, but that does not actually contribute to their well-being or the well-being of others. Surrogate activities are directed towards achieving artificial goals and can provide reassurance in what may otherwise be confusing times. According to Theodore J. Kaczynski, some people are more "other-directed" than others, and therefore will more readily attach importance to a surrogate activity simply because the people around them treat it as important or because society tells them it is important. The idea is that we have a kind of combative hunter energy within us that goes unfulfilled in the modern world, and surrogate activities are a way to channel that energy.