STRUGGLE WITH BOREDOM
STRUGGLE WITH BOREDOM
It seems to me that so much of life is an escape from boredom. Perhaps this is no real earth shattering revelation, but I nonetheless feel compelled to address it. I mean, why not? What else is there to do? I’m convinced that many of humankind’s vices are rooted in sheer boredom. That being said, let me ask a question. Is boredom the same emotion as depression, or is it something altogether different? I ask this question because I feel that the two are related in an important way. If we could construct a theoretical continuum on which “elation” stands at one end and “depression” on the other, we might be tempted to throw “boredom” somewhere right in the middle, possibly leaning toward the “depression” end of the spectrum. But there is a problem with this depiction—specifically, it seems as though boredom can coexist with depression in a very intimate manner, and yet it does not accord well with elation at all. Thus, the question might better be asked as “When does boredom morph into depression?” Hmmm. That is not an easy question to answer, and for that matter, it is not an easy matter to define clearly any emotion. But let me cut to the chase here. The main point I wish to establish is that human beings tend to be nonchalant toward feelings of boredom. Think about it. If your best friend calls you up one day and says that she is bored, do you typically feel a need to reach out to her and console her, try to help her? Probably not. After all, life is boring, deal with it…right? On the other hand, if she calls and tells you that she is depressed and feeling very down, chances are good that, being a compassionate friend, you will try to lift her spirits and feel genuine concern for her mental well being. The problem here is that we are failing to recognize boredom for what it truly is. Boredom is a thick veil that blinds us from being rational. In a sense, it is a patent indicator that we are insane, at least temporarily. (All right, maybe I hyperbolize a bit here.) The fact of the matter is that every breath we take, every image we see, sound we hear, taste we taste is an insoluble mystery and intricate expression of the most exquisite action. Even the very concept of boredom itself is exhilarating to grapple with…like trying to catch a butterfly with a hoola hoop. (Can you picture that?) My suggestion is to attack boredom straightway, as it begins to rear its ugly head. Try to define it, see where it wants to go, ask whence it has come…and then watch it gently glide away…or maybe EXPLODE! Once we realize that boredom is an irrational response to life, perhaps it will automatically follow that “suffering” in all of its manifestations will dissipate substantially.
It seems to me that so much of life is an escape from boredom. Perhaps this is no real earth shattering revelation, but I nonetheless feel compelled to address it. I mean, why not? What else is there to do? I’m convinced that many of humankind’s vices are rooted in sheer boredom. That being said, let me ask a question. Is boredom the same emotion as depression, or is it something altogether different? I ask this question because I feel that the two are related in an important way. If we could construct a theoretical continuum on which “elation” stands at one end and “depression” on the other, we might be tempted to throw “boredom” somewhere right in the middle, possibly leaning toward the “depression” end of the spectrum. But there is a problem with this depiction—specifically, it seems as though boredom can coexist with depression in a very intimate manner, and yet it does not accord well with elation at all. Thus, the question might better be asked as “When does boredom morph into depression?” Hmmm. That is not an easy question to answer, and for that matter, it is not an easy matter to define clearly any emotion. But let me cut to the chase here. The main point I wish to establish is that human beings tend to be nonchalant toward feelings of boredom. Think about it. If your best friend calls you up one day and says that she is bored, do you typically feel a need to reach out to her and console her, try to help her? Probably not. After all, life is boring, deal with it…right? On the other hand, if she calls and tells you that she is depressed and feeling very down, chances are good that, being a compassionate friend, you will try to lift her spirits and feel genuine concern for her mental well being. The problem here is that we are failing to recognize boredom for what it truly is. Boredom is a thick veil that blinds us from being rational. In a sense, it is a patent indicator that we are insane, at least temporarily. (All right, maybe I hyperbolize a bit here.) The fact of the matter is that every breath we take, every image we see, sound we hear, taste we taste is an insoluble mystery and intricate expression of the most exquisite action. Even the very concept of boredom itself is exhilarating to grapple with…like trying to catch a butterfly with a hoola hoop. (Can you picture that?) My suggestion is to attack boredom straightway, as it begins to rear its ugly head. Try to define it, see where it wants to go, ask whence it has come…and then watch it gently glide away…or maybe EXPLODE! Once we realize that boredom is an irrational response to life, perhaps it will automatically follow that “suffering” in all of its manifestations will dissipate substantially.
posted by Todd Reinhard at 5:26 PM
2 Comments:
I don't know that I would say boredom is "irrational." If it is "irrational," I don't think boredom is all that different from attachment (intense desire) or aversion (intense avoidance)to our experiences.
For what it's worth, I see our human problems as more a product of unawareness than of boredom. If we take awareness to even the most mundane of experiences, we can usually find that those experiences have a richness and depth and much to teach us.
For example, let's say I am riding home from work on a bus at the end of the day. I forgot to take my book with me, so I am bored out of my skull just sitting on that bus. I'm stuck for a half an hour in traffic with all those people and the bus is crawling and I am bored.
Why am I bored? It could be that I am a stimulation junkie who gets bored if he is not receiving constant sensory stimulation from his environment.
Regardless of the reason for my boredom, I believe the real problem is my lack of awareness. If I am aware of what is going around me, then how can I be bored? There are so many fascinating things happening all around me and within me, if I pay attention to them, I will not be bored.
I would agree with you Steve. Really the only difference in our claims is that I am attributing the problem to boredom per se, which can be averted by means of awareness. You are claiming that the problem of boredom lies in the lack of awareness per se. I believe the essence of what we are saying is pretty much the same. I do, however, maintain that boredom is irrational insofar as it should not follow if our underlying assumptions were "correct". We both contend that a "correct" assumption is that all is rich when we are aware. If all is rich, then boredom should not logically follow. Therefore, I am claiming that boredom is "irrational". Metta!
Post a Comment
<< Home