They didn't have TikTok in the 19th century, did they! I agree though, boredom is only useful as a remedy to this absolute madness we're creating. Once we're off the drugs, boredom is no good anymore. Just like chemotherapy, it works to kill the unkillable poison in our minds, but don't overdo it or it'll kill you as well. But it's good to be able to get bored at will - and if you can't, well, I've got bad news.
I hear you. It is disheartening to see what kind of self-defeating behaviors we're capable of in the pursuit of happiness. I notice this when I take long hikes or bike rides. I start out with the airpods in and a favorite podcast or playlist, then maybe another, and at some point just take them out and appreciate the silence. The near infinite variety of information to fill the void is ever present and tempting, but the reality is I'm happier if I temper it with such purposely chosen boredom.
“Boredom is dead. And we have killed it. It belongs to a past we are happy to have left behind; a past we thought we’d never yearn for. But we do. The modern world … rarely, if ever, encourages us to develop — or simply feed — “the part of ourselves that likes quiet,” as David Foster Wallace said.”
I think about this often — that steady erosion of our ability to be alive in time, instead of merely spending it. Thank you for writing this.
Couldn’t agree more! I like how you frame it from the evolutionary perspective. I recently pondered this, too, in a recent post:
“Boredom is the harbinger of Creation.” There is power in boredom. The pregnant emptiness of the moment gives birth to desire, dreams, curiosity, and inspiration.”
Boredom is a first-world problem. For billions of people around the world who struggle to find their next meal, to secure a safe place to sleep, or to protect themselves and their families from conflict or persecution, the concept of boredom is a not just alien but a distant luxury.
Good advice
Philosopher Kierkegaard would jump for joy. He wrote: “Boredom is the root of evil; it is that which must be held off.”
They didn't have TikTok in the 19th century, did they! I agree though, boredom is only useful as a remedy to this absolute madness we're creating. Once we're off the drugs, boredom is no good anymore. Just like chemotherapy, it works to kill the unkillable poison in our minds, but don't overdo it or it'll kill you as well. But it's good to be able to get bored at will - and if you can't, well, I've got bad news.
I hear you. It is disheartening to see what kind of self-defeating behaviors we're capable of in the pursuit of happiness. I notice this when I take long hikes or bike rides. I start out with the airpods in and a favorite podcast or playlist, then maybe another, and at some point just take them out and appreciate the silence. The near infinite variety of information to fill the void is ever present and tempting, but the reality is I'm happier if I temper it with such purposely chosen boredom.
“Boredom is dead. And we have killed it. It belongs to a past we are happy to have left behind; a past we thought we’d never yearn for. But we do. The modern world … rarely, if ever, encourages us to develop — or simply feed — “the part of ourselves that likes quiet,” as David Foster Wallace said.”
I think about this often — that steady erosion of our ability to be alive in time, instead of merely spending it. Thank you for writing this.
vipassana meditation retreats can help with this!
Couldn’t agree more! I like how you frame it from the evolutionary perspective. I recently pondered this, too, in a recent post:
“Boredom is the harbinger of Creation.” There is power in boredom. The pregnant emptiness of the moment gives birth to desire, dreams, curiosity, and inspiration.”
https://poetx.substack.com/p/in-defense-of-boredom
well said!
there’s (pretty ironically) a viral tiktok that touches on this as well: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLNLYEDD/
Boredom is a first-world problem. For billions of people around the world who struggle to find their next meal, to secure a safe place to sleep, or to protect themselves and their families from conflict or persecution, the concept of boredom is a not just alien but a distant luxury.
Too many people are afraid to be alone with their own thoughts. - Minus stimulus.