Being bored

[C Elegans]

Had this discussion with Dottie yesterday, and my question is:

What is boredom, what is the nature of boredom?

All we who don't have to struggle for mere survival, have constantly an enourmous amount of different things we can do. Sure there are always things that are impossible due to natural laws, finacial, social and practical issues, but even if our choices are limited, they are still plentiful. So how can one ever be bored?

[fable]

I don't recall his name just at the moment, but there was some British author of the between-Wars period who once said that if he was ever bored, he knew his energy was low. I'm inclined to agree. Boredom is the inability to reenthuse over life.

[C Elegans]

But why this inability to feel enthusiasm over life? If people are ill or depressed, that in one thing - or can boredom be viewed as a depressive state? (low energy, negative thinking such as difficulties seeing opportunities and instead focusing on obstacles, etc)

[fable]

I think (just a theory, mind you) that when we lose enough energy to interact with either the outside world or the inside one, we fall back on the pseudo-reality of cardboard, external images in our own minds. This is the level of socially implanted observations, of socially determined views. This becomes the only perceived reality, and as it is a hollow mockery, it is eminently boring.

Apropos of this, there was an excellent British actor of the 1940s and 50s, George Sanders. He had all the gifts, including a fine career; but he admitted repeatedly through it that he was absolutely bored with everything. He finally killed himself--and left a well-written, eminently civilized note explaining that boredom was responsible.

[C Elegans]

It often seems to me that boredom is very similar to emptyness, but emptyness without anxiety. It is like the abscence do not trigger any emotions - perhaps this is the ultimate emptyness? One does not even respond and react on to the hollowness?

Makes me think of TS Eliot.

I am not familiar with mr Sanders, but I can imagine how constant boredom can make a person wanting to cease to exist. I think emptyness actually frightens me more than personal suffereing, because if you suffer, you still care and you are still driven to change.

[Bloodstalker]

Well, for me, I usually find myself being bored because in my area, there really isn't all that much to do. So after awhile, you just tend to feel like you've seen and done it all. And even if something does come up to do differently, I can still be bored. I think it comes from even though the activity is different, it still happens in the same old area, with the same people you do things with. I get more bored with my surroundings then I do with anything I may be doing, in general at least.I guess I just have a big need for change, new places, new atmosphere, new people.

[Tybaltus]

I think those who are bored, choose to be bored. When Im lying on the couch, watching some boring show on tv-its because I dont want to move. I ask myself, at times like those, "Do I want to go upstairs and play on the computer?" I answer, "Nah." (Yes I know talking to myself is a freaky thing to do, but, hey, it works for me ) But anyway, I would not be bored if I played on the computer, but I still choose to be bored. Being bored is just a state of feeling. Maybe it is a state of emptiness. I dont know.

[Xandax]

Only being able to speak from my own point of view I find myself bored when I infact have to much to do, or I know I should do something, I might not want to do.
I always have something to do, working on webpages, programming some stuff, read a book I ought to read (wether for studies or private use) etc, and when I can't decide (or don't want to) I get a feeling of boredom.

[Tybaltus]

Yes, thats a common situation for me, too. It seems the only way I do work is to wait for the last minute. Thats the only way I get motivated enough to do work, to realize that if I dont do it at that time, I will never get it done in time. I know this is bad, but thats my passive nature acting up on me.

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

Speaking for myself, I only get bored because of mood. I can usually find something to do, but when I'm in a 'bored' mood nothing really interests me.

[Nygma]

Well, I am eminently qualified to speak on this at this particular point in time...

Boredom is when the mind is not engaged. When I am reading a book that can hold my interest, I am not bored. When I am playing a good computer game the first time through, I am not bored. If I am playing any kind of sport, I am not bored. And even when I am just staring into space, my mind is engaged with *something* (just couldn't tell you what), and I'm not bored.

When I get bored, it's because I've played the computer game before (BGII) and my mind knows what's coming and is not interested. Likewise with a lame book or movie. The classic case? When I find myself doing nothing, but still can't summon up the energy to do anything. Lack of energy? Perhaps. More mental energy than physical, I think, because if I come up with something to do I am capable of setting out to do it with a scary rush of energy.

Do we get in this condition because we are either not advancing towards our goals, or because our goals have somehow paled in significance? Why do I sit here typing when my car needs an oil change, the apartment needs cleaning, and the whole wide world sits out there under a gorgeous sun? My mind has disengaged from this topic and is instructing my fingers to get on with it and wrap it up....

[Tybaltus]

@Bloodstalker-you say youre bored in your area? Are you a race fan at all? I mean my favorite driver resides in Owensboro Kentucky. And theres a great racetrack in Kentucky. Thats pretty exciting, isnt it?

[C Elegans]

Interesting. So far, schematically speaking, three different types of boredom seem to emanate, one is the stimulus-oriented type that BS illustrates, when you are bored by repetition and stagnation, with things being as they are and you know them too well. Can this be viewed as a lack of stimulation, in BS case a lack of novelty, which he has a need for?

Then the second type, like Xandax, Tybaltus and Nygma describes, a boredom not elicited by lack of stimulus but rather the contrary. Sounds more like a boredom of the mind, where outer stimuli are not lacking, but intrinsic driving force or energy. Perhaps this type may even be stress induced, if you look at Xandax example.

So the third type, like Ode illustrates. Sounds like a pure boredom of the mind, almost entirely intrinsic. No matter what stimuli are presented, nothing elicit motivation and drive in the person. Actually not dissimilar to a mild, temporary depression. Sounds like it could even be related to understimulation.

OK, so what do you do when you are bored? Does it go away by itself after a while, or do you have to do something to get rid of it?

[Tybaltus]

You have to do something that removes the boredom. Boredom will not go away, otherwise.