The world is eaten up by boredom…You can’t see it all at once. It is like dust. You go about and never notice, you breathe it in, you eat and drink it. It is sifted so fine, it doesn’t even grit on your teeth. But stand still for an instant and there it is, coating your face and hands. To shake off this drizzle of ashes you must be for ever on the go. And so people are always “on the go.” [size=75]–Georges Bernanos[/size]
Is boredom of or produced by the mind, learned through experience – or, in the water?
Just a quickie - I think the ?ego? or whatever is the seat of identity within us defines itself to some extent by what activities it undertakes, what responsibilities it chooses to assume, and what they are judged by others as capable of assuming.
True boredom comes not just from a present lack of stuff to do, but more from an anticipated chronic lack of stuff to do in the foreseeable future. It is at that point the ego begins to question its own identity, and the doom-laden sense of boredom reflex kicks in as a defence mechanism to inspire some form of defining action.
“What do you do…?” is the question that inevitably follows an askance of your name. Fight-Club may say “You are not your job.” But in reality… You are. The ego seeks justification of its existence in action, effect.
Boredom arises from having nothing meaningful to do. When all I have to do is fulfill mundane tasks for the sake of mundane tasks I get bored. I live in a city where around every turn there is something to do - too much choice even. I need to have something deeper to contemplate, I need purpose and I need to action that purpose. My boredom is not simply boredom it is a crying of my soul to awaken to this everlasting moment that is filled with no-thing, void, filled with potential, filled with God. Inside this realisation, my boredom dissipates and mundane tasks take on a sacred quality.
Boredom is never ‘out there’. It’s all between your ears. Distilled to it’s essence, boredom is simply a (chosen) lack of curiousity, a state of mind that refuses to consider the possibilities. If you’re bored, your mind has gone on vacation.
Boredom is a curious psychological phenomenon that apparently animals don’t experience. In our case I believe it is because though we have the capacity to, we haven’t recognized the good. Consider how Simone Weil puts it:
I still think this particular idea of finding the divine in small tasks was invented purely to keep the latrine-cleaners happy in their work…
C’mon Mr. T… only the uncurious get bored…? If I put you in solitary you will happily exist on the mentally stimulative qualities of belly-button-fluff and nasal-hair…?
I think it’s the opposite, if you’re truly dumb, it never occurs to you to get bored… You don’t realize there’s anything more stimulating than that which resides in the comfort-filled niche you have already carved out. The old “interesting times” bit you know - boredom is so comforting to many that it becomes a background hum, unnoticed. It’s the naturally curious types, realizing there’s nothing new to apply that curiousity to, that go out of their unnaturally large minds with boredom.
The terminally smart are the mental thrill-seekers of the species.
Dead cats who are Rolling Stone fans? Porn producers discussing butt cams, smiley-face c**ts with sunglasses smoking cigars, gamer prose, Tab’s comedy hour, and an Australian nazi wearing crucifixes. Who could stay bored around here?
Katharena… I do agree with tentative that boredom is between our ears. We do have choices to fill our lives with interesting people and stimulating activities - or not.
You invite some classic one liners now but I’ll be good.
I’ve seen animals at the zoo domesticated and complacent but is this boredom? Let me explain it this way. I believe boredom is and expression of egotism and animals lack our ego. We become bored when our ego isn’t sufficiently attracted, enchanted, or stroked etc. An animal lacking an ego might appear bored but is just content with itself without the need to escape from itself as we do ourselves with our imagination. Without this means of escape and without being open to the taking in of life’s impressions, I believe we become bored
“The world is facing some of it’s biggest problems. Ever. This is the most exciting time you could have hoped to be alive. So whatever you do, don’t be bored.”
Boredom is our feeling of nothingness. Nothing is important, there is no aim, no anger, no hate, no despair, no patriotism.
The real question is how is boredom induced? After we have done all things, aren’t we supposed to feel contend? Boredom is thus lack of satisfaction.
The bored person is emotionless, passionless, incapable of emotions.
The best way to cure boredom is to have some controlling person near by who forces you in a nice way to become active. Once you are on track you will forget emptiness and boredom.
Put me in a bare room and I’ll start by pacing off the floor measurements, estimating the ceiling height, examining the wall covering, tap the walls to get an idea of composition, etc… It isn’t what is in or not in the environment I am in, it is what I’m willing to do with it. The mind is a terrible thing to waste on boredom…
Although I will make allowances for lack of interest as opposed to what we call boredom. The two can be confused. Its about being aware or choosing to not be aware…
Boredum is probably due to a lack of mental stimulation, I mean look at kids… they always seem to have something to do or running around insainely for hours on end. I think as we grow older, the need for higher stimulus occours, but finding that something is another story. Its the whole been there done that thing all over again.
Boredom is like a pitiless zooming in on the epidermis of time. Every instant is dialated and magnified like the pores of the face. [size=75]–Baudrillard[/size]
…boredom may be hiding in the bottom of my coffee cup, or in the color blue!
