Defending Boredom
Nobody wants to be bored… If you're bored something must be wrong.., and implies -- YOUR A BORING PERSON. It has had a negative connotation.., and some people even consider it a disease. A disease that can only be cured, by being in a state of non-stop productivity -- keeping busy.
We have been convinced, even hoodwinked into thinking that -- we must be doing something, every second. And the coffee industry loves this.., as we suck down more and more caffeine in an effort to -- stay busy. In general we are just plain out over-stimulated… Smartphones, iPads, even watches that can continuously keep us distracted.., and our minds busy.
Our Minds Have Been Trained
To Be Distracted Every Few Seconds
To Be Distracted Every Few Seconds
We are so, in the habit, of staying busy.., we even have a hard time sleeping, until are bodies and minds are just so exhausted we just pass out. It has gotten so out of hand, that most people these days are -- sleep deprived.., which can have a very real effect on our overall health. We have become so distracted, as a society that peoples attention spans have been so limited, that within.., just a few seconds --we are bored again.
But the reality of it is… Being bored is a gift that encourages creativity and reflection. It gives your body.., and mind a chance to recharge. Positive outcomes, usually require time to think, instead of jumping from one thing to the next, without ever really thinking about it.
but we are more afraid of boredom. We have come to know,
or rather to believe, that boredom is not part of the natural lot of man,
but can be avoided by a sufficiently vigorous pursuit of excitement". -- Bertrand Russell
It may be fashionable to always be busy.., but in all actuality, you are doing yourself a disservice. With no time for introspection, reflection on what it is you are doing -- what is important to you.., how can you grow as a person -- evolve. You can see it all around you… People are always engaged in something, from playing a game on there phone, texting non-stop as they walk down the street -- constantly distracted. Just because it looks good to be busy, doesn't mean it is…
The Genius of Being Bored
Being bored can be a gateway to new ideas and creativity… By doing passive activities that most would consider boring can lead to greater creativity. By daydreaming, letting your mind wander.., you can tap into the subconscious and a whole new world of creativity and ideas, that you are not able to access if you are constantly on the go.
If we are not workaholics or multi-tasking -- we have been trained to feel guilty… But if you think about it, we are not only cheating ourselves out of all the brilliance that lives within us.., we are cheating the rest of the world too… For who knows the masterpieces that could have been created if you just slowed down -- turned off the phone.
It is the symbol of his liberty - his excessive freedom. He accepts his boredom, when it comes, not merely philosophically, but almost with pleasure. – Aldous Huxley
Psychologists have actually studied this.., and found that there is a creativity decline in America since the 1990's. Our utter dread of boredom is completely self induced and the attempt to eliminate it from our lives completely, has robbed us of a whole new world of ideas.
Constantly being bombarded with information from all of our gadgets, the media.., there has been a definite decline in quality, creative -- plain old storytelling. By avoiding, being bored, we have settled for less quality. Just doing something, for the sake of -- doing something.., has robbed us of the nuance that is essential in all brilliant creative works -- from films, novels, paintings, etc., etc…
So, as the quote at the top of the page says -- "boredom is the root of all evil..," is not true at all. It is in effect a gateway to brilliance.., and a world we have yet to discover that lives in our mind. It is the next great novel, oscar winning film.., or the next big invention. Without boredom.., one can say -- there is nothing new.
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I love your perspective on boredom and I strongly resonate with your thoughts on it. Falling in love with boredom is also the fastest route to learning and/or mastering any skill! <3 Thanks for this post! XO
CHEERS!
Really interesting! also we can create new thing while we are "bored".
Thank you very much!
No doubt about it. CHEERS!
Interesting post but can't quite agree that boredom is a good thing. You should channel your energy into things you like and enjoy and that escapes boredom
I agree.., we should do things we like and enjoy.., but we need to give our mind and body a chance to relax and do nothing -- recharge.
This is another reason that studies like Yoga, Quigong, Meditation and (some) Martial Arts are ever present. In both stillness or repetition comes stunning clarity, creativity and peace.
Nice one @macksby
You nailed it right on the noggin'
Cheers @kyusho
Upvoted and resteemed!!!!!
Thanks @riosparada -- I appreciate it!
Have a good holiday :))
This article carries an important message. Great post, @macksby! Merry Christmas to you!
Thanks @ericvancewalton.., I appreciate it. Merry Christmas to you, your wife and the pooch :))
Thank you!
Best post i've seen on Steemit in a while. You kept me reading the whole way through. Well done.
Thank so much @rgeddes -- that is extremely generous of you to say... Have a great holiday :))
Great post but I don't think I've ever been bored.
I meditate but find that isn't boring either.
Ohh the crazy shit you cme up with when you're bored.
EXACTLY:))
Did you invent something, or plan a novel or film script, or were you just keeping busy?
You should try it, sometime -- watch some paint dry or something like that :))
Thanks @pitterpatter -- Have a good holiday!
I will do so today, but, it probably will give me long needed time to play on my internal playground. My best ideas comes from sitting still. I'm my best comedian/entertainment and I'm cheap, too!
Being still and daydreaming is not boring to everyone because the state of being bored is subjective. Pitter-patter wouldn't be bored watching paint dry any more than she finds meditation boring because the act would become meditation.
Bertrand was a great thinker and I find many of his quotes spot on, but not this one because he has redefined boredom into something objective.
For me the old statement holds true, "only boring people become bored." I find that people who constantly need stimulation are only fun in short stints and rapidly become dull.
Boredom is never a gateway to brilliance, learning to enjoy stillness is.
I guess, everyone sees things differently...
Very true, partly because their inner dialogue is different and this changes as people age, apart from Narcissists who rarely if ever change.
If I think back 36yrs and imagine being ten then, "I'm bored there's nothing to do" or "no-one is doing anything, adults are boring!" seems like a familiar dialogue, but it just amounted to my expecting to be entertained without taking responsibility for my own entertainment and using my imagination constructively. Taking responsibility is what ends boredom and allows creation to occur.
So, being bored and overcoming it is something that almost every person goes through, eventually, but advising someone to try to be bored is akin to telling them to, "grow-down".
Actually, I take back what I said about Russel-his quote was great and he doesn't make boredom objective, he makes fear of boredom objective, which it is. He doesn't say that boredom is a good thing or that is should be pursued, he just says that people should deal with it.
His quote, when properly analysed, doesn't actually illustrate your point.
I guess, everyone sees things differently...
I Like :). I follow you!
Pretty incredible. Good job
I liked that part: "We are less bored than our ancestors were,
but we are more afraid of boredom." That basically explains a lot.
Oh i see. I guess i need to be bored from all the work I've done last yr. Whew.