Mary Mann, as a researcher I share your passion for simply starting to search for information on a topic or even a definition and then letting your mind find interesting new directions you had never even considered. I feel like a brilliant detective when I discover something important that had been hidden and I can bring to light. I look forward to your book.
1
It is my experience that a really interesting life is created in the Ying and Yang of both being self directed, and of giving the universe enough space and time to talk to me. The latter only happens in opposition to the former. Having a plan, executing against that plan, are ingredients for accomplishing things that we feel are going to be fulfilling for us. But by necessity they are a little like putting blinders on a horse, only allowing us to see a part of the road; in some respects the part we already know. Stopping, just vegetating, just being receptive, creates the capacity to listen to the universe around us. And when we do, we "hear" things we never expected to hear.
2
What the author misses in her observation is how, in the new United States, boredom is an inescapable reality in part because people do not have jobs like they used to. She does, she's been handed a good roll of the dice. The working class and below are bored to tears. They can go online anytime, most cannot just pick up from a plum job in San Diego, fly to New York, and get a job as a researcher. Classic essay from these times Nothing about greater society, just about being above the fray. Coming of age in the internet era seems to do that to young people.
3
activities that involve some kind of handiwork - such as weaving, writing, weeding, or shelling peas - tend to facilitate creative mental activity.
2
Simply inspirational, Mary.
This article is about boredom but a number of comments are more than lively,
1
Your piece on boredom is anything but!
I would hardly describe my recent activities as spelunking or sleuthing (I am a 2014 UN retiree in NYC), - but my recent bouts of boredom has brought clarity about the unexpected direction that I would like my golden pond years to take. I believe that it's fair to credit boredom, the internet and a long winter with this discovery.
I would hardly describe my recent activities as spelunking or sleuthing (I am a 2014 UN retiree in NYC), - but my recent bouts of boredom has brought clarity about the unexpected direction that I would like my golden pond years to take. I believe that it's fair to credit boredom, the internet and a long winter with this discovery.
2
Why, given the state of current technology, have to be tied to their desks or work a certain number of hours every day or every week? Unless your job requires constant physical contact (think warehouse or factory or delivery services), the total number of hours worked should be slowly dropping as our productivity and switch to service jobs in the 21st century progresses.
We are using an industrial model from the late 1800s to run a society with the Internet, Watson, Tesla and SpaceX. Does anyone else think this is either stupid or crazy?
We are using an industrial model from the late 1800s to run a society with the Internet, Watson, Tesla and SpaceX. Does anyone else think this is either stupid or crazy?
2
Don't be fooled into thinking Standing Around Doing nothing is only the province of the Low Paid worker. I can think of at least 2 occasions in my life where vast amounts of time went by on a Very well paying job in a Large Corporation. Trying, but being unable to transfer to a More active Dept because you were just a Body kept there to Justify a Budget. And also "We need you there if something comes in". (This being the western equivalent of a "Window Man" in Japan).
This Job ? Occupation ? Reached the ridiculous state of being Forced to be there on rotating weekend Overtime. Yes, the pay was enormous considering the work Done/Accomplished. I hear you incredulously remarking "Are you nuts ? Where can I get this Job?"
Now many People can do this, taking the pay for doing Nothing. But there is also a very small group of Folks who need to feel they have actually done something for the money they receive. (You know-Actually EARN it?). At these points in life you do indeed become quite creative in your escape attempt. Trust me - NO ONE will believe you or want to hear that you are going insane doing Nothing & being well paid for it.
But escape you do, & it all works out if you want it to.
This Job ? Occupation ? Reached the ridiculous state of being Forced to be there on rotating weekend Overtime. Yes, the pay was enormous considering the work Done/Accomplished. I hear you incredulously remarking "Are you nuts ? Where can I get this Job?"
Now many People can do this, taking the pay for doing Nothing. But there is also a very small group of Folks who need to feel they have actually done something for the money they receive. (You know-Actually EARN it?). At these points in life you do indeed become quite creative in your escape attempt. Trust me - NO ONE will believe you or want to hear that you are going insane doing Nothing & being well paid for it.
But escape you do, & it all works out if you want it to.
3
Boredom leads to creativity?
Perhaps we can test extent of this (differences between people of effect of boredom, etc.) and benefit society as well by removing televisions, other distractions from prisons and introducing various problems by internet or television into prison for prisoners to brood over and perhaps solve. I suppose, according to data, that many prisoners are not that intelligent and are impulsive sorts, but still maybe we can provide a wide variety of problems for prisoners to look over in their boredom...This might help prison security as well because a prisoner looking over a problem such as how to optimally place electrical outlets in various types of house might be less likely to think over ways of escape...
Essentially though I suppose over the entirety of a society the question is how to stimulate creativity. I would say in America there is more seduction and distraction and punishment of people rather than atmosphere of stimulation of creativity. And when a person is branded criminal in society there is even more emphasis on compromising the person's intellect. I would like to see a society designed so that no matter whether one is a criminal or not the society is designed to maximize creativity: Outside of prison much which stimulates creativity and inside of prison something of same as outside but within prison one is of course restrained by physical bounds. Future society maximizing potential of all citizens.
Perhaps we can test extent of this (differences between people of effect of boredom, etc.) and benefit society as well by removing televisions, other distractions from prisons and introducing various problems by internet or television into prison for prisoners to brood over and perhaps solve. I suppose, according to data, that many prisoners are not that intelligent and are impulsive sorts, but still maybe we can provide a wide variety of problems for prisoners to look over in their boredom...This might help prison security as well because a prisoner looking over a problem such as how to optimally place electrical outlets in various types of house might be less likely to think over ways of escape...
Essentially though I suppose over the entirety of a society the question is how to stimulate creativity. I would say in America there is more seduction and distraction and punishment of people rather than atmosphere of stimulation of creativity. And when a person is branded criminal in society there is even more emphasis on compromising the person's intellect. I would like to see a society designed so that no matter whether one is a criminal or not the society is designed to maximize creativity: Outside of prison much which stimulates creativity and inside of prison something of same as outside but within prison one is of course restrained by physical bounds. Future society maximizing potential of all citizens.
you are lucky to have found that research job. You could have ended up scrounging bits of rice out of the dirt behind some UN aid delivery truck. Youve seen those folks with their tiny cups held up in front of their pleading faces. Think there is boredom in that world?
1
You had me at sunglasses display!
As one who grew up in a retail pharmacy and ended up running it for 25 years, the very idea of those sunglasses always made me blue, sort of. Yet they, in their own way, make the (retail) world go round, right?
Thank you for a not blue read, Ms. Mann.
As one who grew up in a retail pharmacy and ended up running it for 25 years, the very idea of those sunglasses always made me blue, sort of. Yet they, in their own way, make the (retail) world go round, right?
Thank you for a not blue read, Ms. Mann.
1
"creative thinking is what makes boredom tolerable:"
This puts cart before horse.
Rather--boredom is the feeling of dissatisfaction with the status quo--it "says" time to move on or move up--up the ladder of knowledge and competence.
Economists identified "Diminishing marginal utility"--with many things--including the "super-thing" money, the more you have the less each additional unit matters to you.
This works also for displays of knowledge and skill--the more you display your skill level, the less each additional display matters. Ultimately you reach the boredom-point--showing off (to self or others) matters naught.
Beyond boredom is revulsion--unless you are teaching someone else your skills. Teaching itself requires a new set of skills.
Teaching aside--boredom with a skill level drives you up the ladder. But often the higher rungs are harder to reach. Olympic runners work months for the joy of shaving milliseconds. But it is not more joy than kids have moving from crawling to walking to running. But unless you move up, the joy diminishes until boredom pushes you on.
This puts cart before horse.
Rather--boredom is the feeling of dissatisfaction with the status quo--it "says" time to move on or move up--up the ladder of knowledge and competence.
Economists identified "Diminishing marginal utility"--with many things--including the "super-thing" money, the more you have the less each additional unit matters to you.
This works also for displays of knowledge and skill--the more you display your skill level, the less each additional display matters. Ultimately you reach the boredom-point--showing off (to self or others) matters naught.
Beyond boredom is revulsion--unless you are teaching someone else your skills. Teaching itself requires a new set of skills.
Teaching aside--boredom with a skill level drives you up the ladder. But often the higher rungs are harder to reach. Olympic runners work months for the joy of shaving milliseconds. But it is not more joy than kids have moving from crawling to walking to running. But unless you move up, the joy diminishes until boredom pushes you on.
1
Bored? Never. I spend as much time as possible daydreaming. I can be with a group of people and suddenly realize that I missed twenty minutes of the conversation because I drifted off into my own world. I literally don't hear what people are saying. Those close to me know and accept this as a charming quirk, and I love them for it. A less charitable view would be that I am disinterested and lazy.
I do get stuff done, but a 9-5 job was simply not feasible for someone like me; at least not if I was to maintain my sanity. I write books and teach at a great university and my time is mostly mine. I love what I do, but I yearn all the time for when I can just do absolutely nothing. It is actually a physical pleasure for me to do nothing. I truly love the feeling.
When I was 20, my boyfriend once went to the grocery store and left me at his apartment. I was on the sofa staring at the wall. When he came back an hour later, I was in the same pose. He laughed and asked me if I had really stayed like that the whole time. I didn't understand why this was odd. He said, "most people might have turned on the TV or picked up a magazine." That's when I knew people found me strange. My mother told me her father had been the same way, and that she was surprised to discover I had the trait when I was only 3 years old. She said I was always in my own world. I think that's what has made me a good novelist.
You will often find me doing nothing, but you will never, ever find me bored.
I do get stuff done, but a 9-5 job was simply not feasible for someone like me; at least not if I was to maintain my sanity. I write books and teach at a great university and my time is mostly mine. I love what I do, but I yearn all the time for when I can just do absolutely nothing. It is actually a physical pleasure for me to do nothing. I truly love the feeling.
When I was 20, my boyfriend once went to the grocery store and left me at his apartment. I was on the sofa staring at the wall. When he came back an hour later, I was in the same pose. He laughed and asked me if I had really stayed like that the whole time. I didn't understand why this was odd. He said, "most people might have turned on the TV or picked up a magazine." That's when I knew people found me strange. My mother told me her father had been the same way, and that she was surprised to discover I had the trait when I was only 3 years old. She said I was always in my own world. I think that's what has made me a good novelist.
You will often find me doing nothing, but you will never, ever find me bored.
9
A good working explanation of our retirement quandary. Some retire only to regret and try to go back to work within months. Others strike out into the unfettered waters and never look back.
It really is all about boredom.
Too bad so many wait until their lives are nearly over before discovering that they don't really have anything they like to do.
It really is all about boredom.
Too bad so many wait until their lives are nearly over before discovering that they don't really have anything they like to do.
3
A person who is almost jobless, discovers the pleasures of surfing the web. So she moves to New York and finds someone who pays her for surfing the net. I saw Cinderella last week and it seemed more real.
3
When I was a little kid, my mom took me to the ear doctor to have my hearing tested because I so often did not hear her. I wasn't pretending or ignoring her. Half the time, I honestly did not realize she or anyone else were talking. It turned out that my hearing was perfect. That's when she realized, to her amazement, that I had inherited her father's capacity to 'zone out' completely.
Growing up, she would watch her father simply space out and be surprised to discover that people had been talking to him for the past 10 minutes. Then she found herself raising a girl who had the same trait, as I mentioned in an earlier comment here.
She did not tell me this until I was 20, when I asked her if she had noticed that I zoned out. She laughed and told me that everybody had noticed. She said that during family gatherings, she would watch me and be aware that I wasn't hearing anything that was being said. Suddenly someone would address me and I would snap to and realize I had no clue what they had just said to me. I tried having a normal job, but I'd miss 1/2 of what was said at meetings.
My friends deal with it by gently nudging me and saying: "Would you like to join us?" when we're in a group and the zone-out happens. I can't control it. And you know what? I wouldn't want to. My mind wanders and I love where it goes, and when I started writing novels I finally realized what all that daydreaming was good for. My success is due to my inability to stay grounded.
Growing up, she would watch her father simply space out and be surprised to discover that people had been talking to him for the past 10 minutes. Then she found herself raising a girl who had the same trait, as I mentioned in an earlier comment here.
She did not tell me this until I was 20, when I asked her if she had noticed that I zoned out. She laughed and told me that everybody had noticed. She said that during family gatherings, she would watch me and be aware that I wasn't hearing anything that was being said. Suddenly someone would address me and I would snap to and realize I had no clue what they had just said to me. I tried having a normal job, but I'd miss 1/2 of what was said at meetings.
My friends deal with it by gently nudging me and saying: "Would you like to join us?" when we're in a group and the zone-out happens. I can't control it. And you know what? I wouldn't want to. My mind wanders and I love where it goes, and when I started writing novels I finally realized what all that daydreaming was good for. My success is due to my inability to stay grounded.
4
I found your article about your experience with "Boredom" interesting, because I myself, having been retired, now for 10 years, from my job as a proofreader and quality control manager for many publishers have often wondered if I could ever become bored, and if I would even recognize if such a feeling should ever materialize and overtake me. When you point out, "Research, like the path I took to it, is all about delayed gratification," my first thought was that if you had replaced the word 'Research' with the word 'Life' in that sentence you would have arrived at the exact conclusion that I have after many years of wondering on about this subject. Having spent a lifetime closely examining and searching for the errors in the proofs of life, so to speak, with a view and a strong determination, an obligation, to contemplate and correct that which I find that is wrong before me, I have discovered that I shall have to delay whatever gratification boredom shall bestow upon me until this busy retirement phase of my life itself has passed. And yes, Mary Mann, the Internet has been a bonnie boon to me as well.
You have a wise father. What a fortunate stroke of luck!
My apologies. This comment was intended for a another column.
1
My father-in-law used the old joke when his children said, "I'm bored." He would retort, "Go out to the lumber company, If you're a board." And then give them a task such as pulling weeds or washing the family car.
6
Yup ,remember mom saying more than once "I'm not here to entertain you Son. Figure it out". And I did
3
My daughter is almost 7, never lived with a TV. I've heard her say that she's never bored and that she likes that she's creative. Made me so happy.
4
This piece deserves a Pulitzer all on its own. Do hope, Mary, you didn't abandone your kayak.
1
The antidote to boredom is curiosity about the world and a readiness for lifelong learning. Unfortunately too many of our schools do not cultivate these dispositions and habits of mind; a number of studies document that many children and adolescents are bored for much of their school day. Outside of school, opportunity and a certain amount of luck determine whether they find interests to engage their hearts and minds.
Then there's the question of what happens when people become bored in their marriage. That's a whole other essay.
Then there's the question of what happens when people become bored in their marriage. That's a whole other essay.
5
Boredom used to be a stimulant to read a book. Remember those? When I was young, (60s-70s,) i.e. before the age of constant distraction (internet) I read two to three books a week. Now... When I'm bored, I turn to technology, which, rather than stimulates, numbs the mind to existence. I'm so thankful for my boring youth-- when I gained probably 80% of my book-learning knowledge. Btw: is there an app for awakening to reality? No? We're doomed to a being nation of sleepwalking illiterates with carpal tunnel and bad eyes.
6
Boredom leads to creativity?
As a writer I have discovered that boredom, or more accurately, time on one's hands can lead to creativity provided one is curious and with a high sense of truth seeking nature. To learn to write and really think one needs a certain dignity--freedom from distractions and something of position of one's own. One needs a place from where to spin concepts. After a while one gets in a state where there is no such thing as boredom--one knows what one wants to do, one has ideal of truth, but one has to deal with days or just moments of not functioning at best or times of being unable to integrate thoughts (the down days one must sweat out).
Best results are arrived at by just concentrating on truth and imagination--not thinking about fame or good employment or being distracted by constant compromise to one's dignity. But the sad thing is the more powerful one's intellect, the more given to truth, the more one runs up against barriers (other people) to one's process of thinking. People step in your way in any number of ways--they actively try to thwart you; steal your work; slyly manipulate you; and perhaps worst are the ones who think they are helping you when in actuality they are often the worst compromise of dignity (for example, a family member who assumes the good he does is what you want from your life). It comes down to this if you want to reflect on creativity and boredom and life: Do you or do you not want truth and imagination and courage?
As a writer I have discovered that boredom, or more accurately, time on one's hands can lead to creativity provided one is curious and with a high sense of truth seeking nature. To learn to write and really think one needs a certain dignity--freedom from distractions and something of position of one's own. One needs a place from where to spin concepts. After a while one gets in a state where there is no such thing as boredom--one knows what one wants to do, one has ideal of truth, but one has to deal with days or just moments of not functioning at best or times of being unable to integrate thoughts (the down days one must sweat out).
Best results are arrived at by just concentrating on truth and imagination--not thinking about fame or good employment or being distracted by constant compromise to one's dignity. But the sad thing is the more powerful one's intellect, the more given to truth, the more one runs up against barriers (other people) to one's process of thinking. People step in your way in any number of ways--they actively try to thwart you; steal your work; slyly manipulate you; and perhaps worst are the ones who think they are helping you when in actuality they are often the worst compromise of dignity (for example, a family member who assumes the good he does is what you want from your life). It comes down to this if you want to reflect on creativity and boredom and life: Do you or do you not want truth and imagination and courage?
2
Hmmmm....."In a roundabout way, having nothing to do turned me into the explorer I’d always hoped to be."
HA! "Deep thinkers" who analyze the growth and development of our species always remarked on a singular, hallmark trait. Curiosity. The desire to know and see beyond that next hill. They apply all sorts of robust analytical work in trying to determine the why of it. Why we are the way we are; restless, intelligent and curious chimps. They say it's because of a refinement on gene 'X'. Or region 'Y' of the brain and the way it's developed. They peer deeply into recesses of biology, our sociology, in trying to answer this question. And this is all fine.
But I suspect a key aspect is much as this writer alludes ....some chimp came down out of the trees...a chimp much like all the rest in his/her day....stomped and rutted around a small piece of ground...thumped a few rocks to exhaustion and then, unlike the others, must have thought some variation of ...."THIS is IT?! THIS is all there IS?! THIS!?" Sudden the fount of boredom erupts in that proto-humans mind. But that's not enough.....a moment of epiphany occurs....that chimp juxtaposed the boredom to the sudden realization that they hadn't been beyond that hill over there and.....well....the rest is history.
Without boredom I daresay we would not be where we are today.....for it is the ignition point of all curiosity....which in turn is the wellspring of all creativity
So it goes.
John~
American Net'Zen
HA! "Deep thinkers" who analyze the growth and development of our species always remarked on a singular, hallmark trait. Curiosity. The desire to know and see beyond that next hill. They apply all sorts of robust analytical work in trying to determine the why of it. Why we are the way we are; restless, intelligent and curious chimps. They say it's because of a refinement on gene 'X'. Or region 'Y' of the brain and the way it's developed. They peer deeply into recesses of biology, our sociology, in trying to answer this question. And this is all fine.
But I suspect a key aspect is much as this writer alludes ....some chimp came down out of the trees...a chimp much like all the rest in his/her day....stomped and rutted around a small piece of ground...thumped a few rocks to exhaustion and then, unlike the others, must have thought some variation of ...."THIS is IT?! THIS is all there IS?! THIS!?" Sudden the fount of boredom erupts in that proto-humans mind. But that's not enough.....a moment of epiphany occurs....that chimp juxtaposed the boredom to the sudden realization that they hadn't been beyond that hill over there and.....well....the rest is history.
Without boredom I daresay we would not be where we are today.....for it is the ignition point of all curiosity....which in turn is the wellspring of all creativity
So it goes.
John~
American Net'Zen
4
And now that the chimp HAS been over that hill. And the next and the next. Actually gotten round the rock and back. And the next Chimp epiphany is" "Oh,I guess this IS it." "Oh Well - time to get out and make another Chimp Dollar". Because after all - that's why a Chimp Exists -Right?"
1
jlcurtis_1019
There is nothing new under the sun, just a progression of steps, one leading to the next. If you can tap into that historical sequence you will know what the next lateral and logical step should be, which means you have learned from the past and past experiences the knowledge needed to make wise choices. Boredom comes when you don't know how or what you should be doing. You don't how to stop what you are or not doing and look in other directions from your current view to a better view of the situations.
There is nothing new under the sun, just a progression of steps, one leading to the next. If you can tap into that historical sequence you will know what the next lateral and logical step should be, which means you have learned from the past and past experiences the knowledge needed to make wise choices. Boredom comes when you don't know how or what you should be doing. You don't how to stop what you are or not doing and look in other directions from your current view to a better view of the situations.
1
You weren't bored while surfing the internet, so technically, you were not bored. You were only bored before you found something to occupy your mind after suffering the unpleasantness of boredom. Really what led you to creativity was the active use of your time with your mind. Boredom is just an unpleasant state, it was stimulating your mind that produced the creativity, not the boredom.
1
I have never considered letting my mind wander and make up stories as boredom. In fact, I don't think I've ever been bored.
We often accept the idea that information gained, may it be on the internet, books or classroom will equate to making wise choices on how to do something new.
Wisdom leading to Innovation and change does not emerge out of nothing or just from information. Originality evolves from knowledge and experience that comes from a historical and comparative process. Young people shall see dreams and old people visions. Everything evolves from a process of one thing to the next. If you do not understand how you (we) got to where we are, we will never know what the next logical sequential step should be. Gaining historical context of Experience + Knowledge = Wisdom.
Wisdom leading to Innovation and change does not emerge out of nothing or just from information. Originality evolves from knowledge and experience that comes from a historical and comparative process. Young people shall see dreams and old people visions. Everything evolves from a process of one thing to the next. If you do not understand how you (we) got to where we are, we will never know what the next logical sequential step should be. Gaining historical context of Experience + Knowledge = Wisdom.
1
As my father used to say:
"Only boring people get bored."
"Only boring people get bored."
3
Maybe bored is a necessary condition for creativity, but it certainly isn't sufficient. I would wager that most people who are bored never experience the creativity that Ms. Mann experienced. How much creativity comes out of prisons, for example? I know that some does, but obviously not every prisoner gets noticeably creative.
1
If you are bored...hone a skill
If you are board...make something of wood
If you are boared....have a ham sandwich,(unless you are vegan)
If you have nothing to do...write bad puns
If you are board...make something of wood
If you are boared....have a ham sandwich,(unless you are vegan)
If you have nothing to do...write bad puns
1
There are certain jobs, which provide plenty of time. If a person wants to be innovative, it's quite possible. Long long back I was in charge of a shift in 220 / 132 and 220 / 33 KV Transmission Sub - Station in India for seven years.
In Transmission Sub - Stations, our main job is to routinely take certain hourly readings, check the air pressure of some circuit breakers etc and jump into quick action when some fault occurs or whenever any outage is availed on Power Transformers and Extra High Voltage Lines.
I had a passion for the calendar calculations at that time. In 1979, I happened to read about the calendar calculations in a science magazine. In that article, the writer provided the codes for days and months and provided all the details as to how a particular day can be arrived if the date, month and year are known. However the writer gave clues only for the years 1979 and 1980.
The article was so fascinating I got hooked to it for decades. So I made the best use of my round the clock shift duties in this direction and thankfully I could figure out many interesting aspects of the calendar calculations by working tirelessly.
People may perhaps get it with the help of a computer or any App pretty fast but calculating the day mentally gives some kind of a kick, which is pretty difficult to explain.
In Transmission Sub - Stations, our main job is to routinely take certain hourly readings, check the air pressure of some circuit breakers etc and jump into quick action when some fault occurs or whenever any outage is availed on Power Transformers and Extra High Voltage Lines.
I had a passion for the calendar calculations at that time. In 1979, I happened to read about the calendar calculations in a science magazine. In that article, the writer provided the codes for days and months and provided all the details as to how a particular day can be arrived if the date, month and year are known. However the writer gave clues only for the years 1979 and 1980.
The article was so fascinating I got hooked to it for decades. So I made the best use of my round the clock shift duties in this direction and thankfully I could figure out many interesting aspects of the calendar calculations by working tirelessly.
People may perhaps get it with the help of a computer or any App pretty fast but calculating the day mentally gives some kind of a kick, which is pretty difficult to explain.
6
As a defense contractor waiting for a clearance, one is put into a "leper colony" and given little to do. Sometimes there are others, once just me. The wait can be long, up to 6 months or more. Sure, there are make work assignments, sometimes even meaningful ones. But mostly its about the wait. What did I do? I got thru David Hoffsteader's Pulitzer prize winning book "Godel, Eischer, Bach...", which connects the math of Kurt Godel, the music of Bach, and the art of Eischer. Kurt Godel is another Allan Turing, almost unknown, but of singular importance. Turing actually improved on Godel's work. See the latest PBS Nova on Mathematics to understand why anything of that caliber to thought is so significant.
Because of Godel's work I can understand, in a very comprehensive way, why the so called "Technology Singularity" can not occur. In that leper colony, with nothing to do, i found that his work to be a formalization of Aristotle. And that might be more important than any work I did after getting a clearance.
The point is, there is no such thing a true boredom. One picks a goal and pursues it, or does not pick a goal, and pursues that. The pursuit of no goal is subtle, but perhaps more powerful than a goal.
Because of Godel's work I can understand, in a very comprehensive way, why the so called "Technology Singularity" can not occur. In that leper colony, with nothing to do, i found that his work to be a formalization of Aristotle. And that might be more important than any work I did after getting a clearance.
The point is, there is no such thing a true boredom. One picks a goal and pursues it, or does not pick a goal, and pursues that. The pursuit of no goal is subtle, but perhaps more powerful than a goal.
7
The most significant initiatives always come out of boredom. Has for me. Dream a little. Complex dreams. That takes time in a boring job. Time with a boring teacher. Time too much time .
Pity the iphone generation. Constantly distracted. Never bored. Never thinking deeply. Skimming the surface. It follows no big thoughts. No big ideas. No new developments.
Ditch the technology folks. Force your kids to do nothing and live inside their imaginations.
Pity the iphone generation. Constantly distracted. Never bored. Never thinking deeply. Skimming the surface. It follows no big thoughts. No big ideas. No new developments.
Ditch the technology folks. Force your kids to do nothing and live inside their imaginations.
2
time is one thing (a precious commodity). boredom is not time. boredom is not the gateway to creativity. boredom is the condition resulting from undifferentiated days. undifferentiated days are - well, a waste of time.
as shakespeare's richard II says from prison, "I wasted time, and now doth time waste me."
as shakespeare's richard II says from prison, "I wasted time, and now doth time waste me."
There is only one thing that can bore you, and that is yourself. So, looking outside yourself will never work, at least not in the long term. Know yourself and boredom will disappear.
Wow, how can I get a job as a researcher? (not a scientific researcher, I mean)
1
Check out the website of a company called Westat.
This essay was boring. I had to force myself to keep reading. And a whole book is forthcoming? Ouch!
6
One persons boredom is another's flight of fancy...
Ms. Mann: I cannot quite get past the idea that your employer would keep you on the payroll, even at minimum wage, to sit for weeks or months on end, surfing the net. What kind of kayak business was this, anyways? Did you own it yourself? Even so, you surely owed rent and utilities, even on a very small office. I assume you still had to pay for an apartment, car, food, etc. for yourself.
I'd love to know how that worked, if you'd post back here in the comment thread. Because I lived through that recession, and my own employer started cutting staff in late 2008, and continued through 2009 -- more than 2/3rds of everyone who had worked there. There was no halcyon period of being able to sit on our fannies surfing the internet while collecting a paycheck -- it was straight to the unemployment office.
Speaking of that, who was paying for that high speed internet connection at the kayak tour office? It wasn't cheap in 2009. It also wasn't very new. It's not like the internet was invented 6 years ago! How is it you missed all this? for the previous 15 years (prior to 2009)? I mean, you obviously had a computer and a business. You sound like a college grad, so weren't you exposed to the internet there?
BTW: most of us broke, unemployed folks have to use the internet at the public library. We don't have the luxury of a free office, with free DSL nor a salary for doing nothing.
I'd love to know how that worked, if you'd post back here in the comment thread. Because I lived through that recession, and my own employer started cutting staff in late 2008, and continued through 2009 -- more than 2/3rds of everyone who had worked there. There was no halcyon period of being able to sit on our fannies surfing the internet while collecting a paycheck -- it was straight to the unemployment office.
Speaking of that, who was paying for that high speed internet connection at the kayak tour office? It wasn't cheap in 2009. It also wasn't very new. It's not like the internet was invented 6 years ago! How is it you missed all this? for the previous 15 years (prior to 2009)? I mean, you obviously had a computer and a business. You sound like a college grad, so weren't you exposed to the internet there?
BTW: most of us broke, unemployed folks have to use the internet at the public library. We don't have the luxury of a free office, with free DSL nor a salary for doing nothing.
1
"The Internet’s formative years had been my college years, and I’d spent them in the woods."
This was just one person's experience and she's writing about it. It's not telling others what to do, or expecting that this how it is for everyone. And some employers don't really care how you amuse yourself if there are no customers. It's not a complicated mystery.
This was just one person's experience and she's writing about it. It's not telling others what to do, or expecting that this how it is for everyone. And some employers don't really care how you amuse yourself if there are no customers. It's not a complicated mystery.
2
And don't forget the distinction between being alone and loneliness.
I believe it was Samuel Johnson who said a great man is someone who is alone, but never lonely.
I believe it was Samuel Johnson who said a great man is someone who is alone, but never lonely.
3
I suspect there's something she's not telling us. A top-school education perhaps? She writes like someone w an MA. She didn't learn that renting kayaks. And how many, say, Colorado ski instructors land in New York and fall into the self-actuating job of their dreams? Something is missing here but if I think about it too long I might get bored. But that might be good as I might magically retire to a nice condo near Waikiki. And when I'm tired of gentle surfing, I could retire to the corduroy slopes of Deer Valley. Yeah, baby, I've got insomnia and I will be bored tonight. But it'll be worth it to be standing on that board tomorrow. And I don't care if it is just a rental from the Outrigger.
1
I have planned the new projects during boring meetings of my company. They are good opportunities to imagine creative ideas. The voice of explanations by our boss is good background music. When I am not able to sleep in bed, I make an effort to imagine various things for new ventures. Most of cases I go to sleep before I find a good idea.
1
Many of us discovered the internet over modems with speeds ranging from .0024 to .044 Mbps. Waiting a minute for a picture or an hour for a file to download on a computer that couldn't do anything else at the same time gave us time to reflect and plan what to do next. It was still possible to be bored. Today there's a never ending infinite scrolling stream of interesting things that instantly appear in front of me and it's hard to be bored anymore.
Research does sound like a good antidote. The kind of research you can't do from a browser.
Research does sound like a good antidote. The kind of research you can't do from a browser.
6
Boredom is a defense against anxiety.
3
Zounds. A coming book about boredom. Surely a bestseller.
1
While your essay's not exactly boring, it is not exactly news; the treadmill society & its soul-stifling bustle & industrial productive imperatives have been lamented since the industrial revolution, which destroyed the spirit's fallow periods by subjugating all (or most) to the "discipline of the machine" (Veblen).
That was largely Arendt's "The a Human Condition" thesis. which ended with perhaps the most classic encomium to idleness, a passage from Cicero's De Republica: "Never was he less alone than when he was by himself, and never was he more active than when he did nothing." It is likewise the theme of Pieper's "Leisure the Basis of Culture" (& countless other attacks in modern bustle).
But an empirical proof: in New Yorker essay by concert pianist Jeremy Denck, whose Carnegie Hall recitals include much of the most demanding repertory, including the Beethoven "Hammerklavier," Bach Goldberg Variations & Ives Concord Sonata. How does Mr. Denck characterize himself? a "sloth." Indeed, one imagines his productivity suddenly exploding out of stretches of idleness as if boredom reaching a certain critical mass erupts in almost involuntary exertion.
Read Arthur Rubinstein's NYT obit; the 20th century's most admired pianists self-reports as being "lazy." Gieskging reported shunning practice altogether.
On a personal note: I know about myself nothing recharges my productive capacity like the boredom of a long airport layover. That is joy.
That was largely Arendt's "The a Human Condition" thesis. which ended with perhaps the most classic encomium to idleness, a passage from Cicero's De Republica: "Never was he less alone than when he was by himself, and never was he more active than when he did nothing." It is likewise the theme of Pieper's "Leisure the Basis of Culture" (& countless other attacks in modern bustle).
But an empirical proof: in New Yorker essay by concert pianist Jeremy Denck, whose Carnegie Hall recitals include much of the most demanding repertory, including the Beethoven "Hammerklavier," Bach Goldberg Variations & Ives Concord Sonata. How does Mr. Denck characterize himself? a "sloth." Indeed, one imagines his productivity suddenly exploding out of stretches of idleness as if boredom reaching a certain critical mass erupts in almost involuntary exertion.
Read Arthur Rubinstein's NYT obit; the 20th century's most admired pianists self-reports as being "lazy." Gieskging reported shunning practice altogether.
On a personal note: I know about myself nothing recharges my productive capacity like the boredom of a long airport layover. That is joy.
9
A very interesting, and it seems fortuitous, transformation in your life's journey. From exploring nature to exploring information. Good luck to you!
I've never thought much of people who say they are bored. I know it's something your mother probably nagged at you when you were 12 and loudly complaining about the lack of excitement in your life at that vey second, but it happens to be true that only boring people are bored. I am quite comfortable sitting quietly and observing the world around me, no matter where I am. No smartphone or other diversion needed. Faced with an open span of hours at home, I may opt for seat in the garden where I can do nothing but listen to the bees. I think. I look at the trees. I experience. Yes, I will eventually decide to get up and be "useful" -- pulling weeds, pruning, planting, potting up seedlings in the greenhouse -- because I have an ingrained sense of guilt about excessive idleness and I (alas) do not employ domestic staff, but boredom is not what interrupts my reverie, because boredom is simply not something I experience. If my mind is not occupied, or if I am not employed in useful tasks, I am asleep. I do get sucked down the rabbit hole of the Internet more often than I would like, but that is more out of compulsion and curiosity than boredom. The world is a fascinating place. how can anyone be bored by it?
29
I've never thought much of people who do not get bored. If you find satisfaction and interest in whatever you do, you end to be the the kind who too easily settles for whatever comes your way. Incessant soap opera watchers. conspiracy theorists, and horoscope readers come to mind.
From what I've been able to find, sitting on top of a bread oven to "appear more attractive" is related to 17th century French culture and a national obsession over bread. Stewart Allen wrote in 'In the Devil’s Garden' “The French believed the baker’s oven to be the national womb.”
Thanks to "the-toast.net" for helping me find the answer to this question.
Thanks to "the-toast.net" for helping me find the answer to this question.
1
"Discovery" is the essence of living. It comes in all forms: formal learning, experience, reading for pleasure, fantasy, work, play, conversation, careers, creativity, dreams, reflection....
The antithesis of discovery is boredom, and with so many ways to "discover" you have to wonder how a healthy human being would ever be feeling bored. "Society", however, is really effective at labeling some of these activities as
"bad", wrong. useless, and at proscribing what is "acceptable thought".
The antithesis of discovery is boredom, and with so many ways to "discover" you have to wonder how a healthy human being would ever be feeling bored. "Society", however, is really effective at labeling some of these activities as
"bad", wrong. useless, and at proscribing what is "acceptable thought".
2
I've been thinking of the boredom of children of yore who had no technology to spend hours and hours with. And though I don't exactly extol seeing kids here in Maui with all manner of games or older ones with iPads, it did cross my mind about how much easier to parent such kids.
I once fairly long ago, took my daughter and her friend on a very long train ride. Instead of feeling bored, they each took out small pocket sized games--fueled by some technology and they weren't bored, not for a second, on a 12 hour train ride. I wonder if those with young children today, twenty years later, also enjoy the absence of boredom with their kids having iPad or other computers that these days cost so much less? This is a question I throw out to you parents.
I once fairly long ago, took my daughter and her friend on a very long train ride. Instead of feeling bored, they each took out small pocket sized games--fueled by some technology and they weren't bored, not for a second, on a 12 hour train ride. I wonder if those with young children today, twenty years later, also enjoy the absence of boredom with their kids having iPad or other computers that these days cost so much less? This is a question I throw out to you parents.
1
Ms. Mann, your essay is premature. These essays are always advance publicity. At the end, It should say: Ms. Mann's forthcoming book is entitled 'Up a creek without an Internet connection'. It will be published in May of 2015 on Hyperion. Like that.
I first got on the Internet in 1999 while working as a 'night auditor' at a local Super 8 motel. The night auditor is just the desk clerk who runs the software which tallies the previous day's room rentals and cash flows so the owner has these the next morning. Until 4 am, there isn't anything to do.
But I figured out how to put the Windows computer online. And I used an AOL disc to sign up for an account. For a few weeks, I surfed that mid-period Internet like a heroin addict. My dull job was tolerable, even great at times. I read a lady gamer developer's early 'blog' called 'lemon yellow' featured in the NY Times, and even wrote to her about my definition of the word 'data'. I felt so smart.
Then, the place got robbed, and me, a male customer and his 5 yr. old son were all lead in the manager's office at the point of a silver .45. I thought we would be shot, but we weren't. It made the local papers, but nothing came of it even though we had the guys on video tape. Then, 'inexplicably', I was fired. I think they found my online account. I guess I wasn't so smart after all.
I first got on the Internet in 1999 while working as a 'night auditor' at a local Super 8 motel. The night auditor is just the desk clerk who runs the software which tallies the previous day's room rentals and cash flows so the owner has these the next morning. Until 4 am, there isn't anything to do.
But I figured out how to put the Windows computer online. And I used an AOL disc to sign up for an account. For a few weeks, I surfed that mid-period Internet like a heroin addict. My dull job was tolerable, even great at times. I read a lady gamer developer's early 'blog' called 'lemon yellow' featured in the NY Times, and even wrote to her about my definition of the word 'data'. I felt so smart.
Then, the place got robbed, and me, a male customer and his 5 yr. old son were all lead in the manager's office at the point of a silver .45. I thought we would be shot, but we weren't. It made the local papers, but nothing came of it even though we had the guys on video tape. Then, 'inexplicably', I was fired. I think they found my online account. I guess I wasn't so smart after all.
13
Yes, having time to spare seems a necessary ingredient to escape the 'lethal' boredom of what constitutes 'routine', so to open our minds to what's out there, and to what ought to be there, if we were paying attention. Now, Idleness, the art of doing nothing, and without feeling guilty, is a most desirable state to gain access to our creativity, to let our imagination go wild; that way, we are able to suspend dejection, procrastination and paralysis. As you said, become, again, an explorer.
Bored? Surely you jest. I can't remember the last time I was bored. Boredom is a generational thing brought on by the expectation that children be constantly entertained, from the womb onward. When you learn to appreciate your own company, is when you cease to be bored. You won't need the company of others ( although it's appreciated). You will learn to sit still and watch nature unfold, the light change as the sun heads toward the horizon. There are limitless activities to fill your day. Write, paint, read, photograph ( my personal fav!), exercise, cook, eat, garden, and the list goes on.
22
Generational? Huh? You have NEVER been bored.
Ennui ? If you are bored you could read "Oblomov"
Not act like you invented laziness or nothing left to do !
Not act like you invented laziness or nothing left to do !
3
I've spent over 30 years in research.
I liked your statement "Research, like the path I took to it, is all about delayed gratification." It gave me a new view of what I was doing.
Fairly accurate actually! Just never thought of it that way.
Thanks!
I liked your statement "Research, like the path I took to it, is all about delayed gratification." It gave me a new view of what I was doing.
Fairly accurate actually! Just never thought of it that way.
Thanks!
9
Research rocks, straight up, Miss Mary Mann. I love researching anything, and that was always my favorite kind of work.
Boredom is also relative, or on a sliding scale down to manic depression, where you start to invent "castles in Spain" to fill the void, and then you try to move into them. It did have its moments—thankfully I was misdiagnosed later as just a smart aleck and a snob. It can look just like manic depression.
As it turns out, I really like (but don't love) bland reality, in the spring of old age. And I always compare boredom in this epoch to boredom in Catholic grammar school, staring at the sixth grade nun every day with her dandruff and booze-reddened nose. Nothing could ever quite compare to that extreme.
Boredom is also relative, or on a sliding scale down to manic depression, where you start to invent "castles in Spain" to fill the void, and then you try to move into them. It did have its moments—thankfully I was misdiagnosed later as just a smart aleck and a snob. It can look just like manic depression.
As it turns out, I really like (but don't love) bland reality, in the spring of old age. And I always compare boredom in this epoch to boredom in Catholic grammar school, staring at the sixth grade nun every day with her dandruff and booze-reddened nose. Nothing could ever quite compare to that extreme.
5
How apropos that Ms. Mann mentions Morita therapy.
As per wikipedia, "the original Morita treatment process has the patient spend their first week of treatment isolated in a room without any outside stimulation."
What we might call boredom can indeed have useful consequences, provided we consider "who" is experiencing, "what" is being experienced, and "how" the experience can be rendered meaningful. The work is ours to do with patience and goodwill.
I look forward to reading Ms. Mann's book. This column provided an excellent introduction.
As per wikipedia, "the original Morita treatment process has the patient spend their first week of treatment isolated in a room without any outside stimulation."
What we might call boredom can indeed have useful consequences, provided we consider "who" is experiencing, "what" is being experienced, and "how" the experience can be rendered meaningful. The work is ours to do with patience and goodwill.
I look forward to reading Ms. Mann's book. This column provided an excellent introduction.
4
Valuable counsel to prison inmates serving long sentences. Indeed, much of the recent controversy over long periods of solitary confinement might be assuaged by a cheap iPad and an Internet link.
Richard, prisoners are not allowed access to the internet in the United States. Boredom is deliberately forced on them. That's just one of the reasons that the entire prison industrial complex has to be rethought.
Chuck:
Thanks for the lesson on prison civics, but I'm familiar with the restrictions imposed on prisoners, particularly on those serving in solitary confinement.
However, when I matriculated in 1973 at college as a freshman, I still had to use a slide rule in Organic Chemistry, despite having bought (at truly hilarious expense from this vantage point) one of the first four-function calculators to come out. Nobody uses slide rules anymore and, indeed, it wasn't long after that freshman year of mine that calculators started appearing in classrooms.
The moral? Even prisons can change. And why CAN'T a prisoner be afforded a cheap iPad and an Internet link? You don't have to rebuild Paris to improve it: you just need to empty it of Parisians.
Thanks for the lesson on prison civics, but I'm familiar with the restrictions imposed on prisoners, particularly on those serving in solitary confinement.
However, when I matriculated in 1973 at college as a freshman, I still had to use a slide rule in Organic Chemistry, despite having bought (at truly hilarious expense from this vantage point) one of the first four-function calculators to come out. Nobody uses slide rules anymore and, indeed, it wasn't long after that freshman year of mine that calculators started appearing in classrooms.
The moral? Even prisons can change. And why CAN'T a prisoner be afforded a cheap iPad and an Internet link? You don't have to rebuild Paris to improve it: you just need to empty it of Parisians.
To me the universe is endlessly fascinating. I have a day job teaching college level science, so I'm busy. But in addition, so many other things to discover, experience and learn, especially if one desires in depth knowledge.
I occasionally get bored, maybe for a few minutes, but I take a walk, explore some favorite websites, go to a museum or gallery when I can, read a different book or article, research something of interest in science, philosophy or history ... and I'm fascinated anew.
I have kids but their grown, and I share the journey with a partner and that makes it all the richer. I guess we all have to figure out what works for us and do it, at least as best we can.
I occasionally get bored, maybe for a few minutes, but I take a walk, explore some favorite websites, go to a museum or gallery when I can, read a different book or article, research something of interest in science, philosophy or history ... and I'm fascinated anew.
I have kids but their grown, and I share the journey with a partner and that makes it all the richer. I guess we all have to figure out what works for us and do it, at least as best we can.
3
I enjoyed reading this piece, and I do not mean to be snarky, but does Ms. Mann have a trust fund to live off of?
6
I don't get this. Why would she need a trust fund? She has a job.
Doing nothing and boredom both are subjective psychological traits. Even the most creative works are done in this state of mind. I may find someone doing nothing ,but his mind may be busy all the time. Boredom is a feeling that comes in very often when a person may be doing the same thing with out interest.
It is more important in case of Children to create a sense of interest for what they do so that they do not feel bored. Once the find interest in an area which was boring before, they will start doing something more creative than before and we fill find them busy.
It is more important in case of Children to create a sense of interest for what they do so that they do not feel bored. Once the find interest in an area which was boring before, they will start doing something more creative than before and we fill find them busy.
3
I've generally believed that the raw material of what makes one an interesting person as an adult comes from what one did while bored in high school. I learned about art and literature; others became part of online communities. Children of overbearing parents missed this formative experience and aren't nearly as interesting as adults.
5
Is it boredom or downtime that bears fruit? There are many people who are bored with their lives but much too busy trying to support their families to explore their greatest interests.
Lucky are those who have been able to explore their interests and who have the resources to find paying work pursuing those interests!
Lucky are those who have been able to explore their interests and who have the resources to find paying work pursuing those interests!
3
I hate to tell you this, but being able to surf the internet is not being bored.
When you REALLY have NOTHING to do, that's when you learn how to entertain yourself. Thinking. Singing. Teaching yourself to whistle. Thinking. That kind of stuff.
When you REALLY have NOTHING to do, that's when you learn how to entertain yourself. Thinking. Singing. Teaching yourself to whistle. Thinking. That kind of stuff.
28
>
“For if life . . . possessed in itself a positive value and real content, there would be no such thing as boredom: mere existence would fulfill and satisfy us. As things are, we take no pleasure in existence except when we are striving after something”.
Schopenhauer
“For if life . . . possessed in itself a positive value and real content, there would be no such thing as boredom: mere existence would fulfill and satisfy us. As things are, we take no pleasure in existence except when we are striving after something”.
Schopenhauer
2
Striving is probably a good thing, evolutionarily speaking.
There are so many online Mass Open Online Courses(MOOC)s with subjects so interesting that it is hard to do just one at a time. I will never be bored again. However, my inate creativity may just be redirected.
An unsourced quote I recall:
"Artists don't get busy until the pain of not working exceeds the pain of working."
"Artists don't get busy until the pain of not working exceeds the pain of working."
3
It helps to not have children. Getting bored is a luxury that parents rarely enjoy. Having time to be creative *after* being bored is like the parent version of winning some sort of spiritual lottery. I know F. Scott Fitzgerald and Picasso and many great artists had kids, but they had to sort of neglect them to get bored and then create. It's hard to create in the one hour window that parents are given. They get that window and they sleep. Or have a glass of wine then sleep.
79
This is funny . . . I've been a stay at home dad taking care of two kids for six years now, and sometimes it is incredibly boring to me. I find it hard to think about other things or reflect when I'm with my kids, as they tend to need a lot of attention, so the boredom doesn't lead to a lot except frustration. However, there are things I am really looking forward to once my days free up a bit, so I might experience a sort of creative awakening then - ?
4
That is so true. As a father of teenagers, I can honestly say I am never "bored".
1
I spent some of my time in Iraq power surfing Wikipedia, gathering a reading list. In Afghanistan, I powered my way through Ulysses, War and Piece, Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn, Gravity's Rainbow, and a dozen other books in my tough box. Living with nearly constant fear of death gives you reason not to be bored. Now that I've quit the Army, I spend my free time reading and hanging out with the wife. Having idle time is a luxury, that's why I'm getting rid of my iPhone. My dream job is something where I can get paid to sit around and read or have time to idly think. I had that as a laundry attendant in my early twenties, but gave that up to join the Army. Hooah.
102
Thank you, Jeffrey, for your service to our country. If you've got the chops to read the stuff you did under those conditions, you've clearly got something to offer. After all, it IS a knowledge economy. It's all how you spin it.
3
I've lived in California and I've lived in NYC. My suggestion to you would be to get off the plane in between and talk to a few people. First you'll find they aren't as dull as your average Angelino nor as smart as your average New Yorker. Second you'll find they don't have time to be bored. They are too busy trying to survive.
17
As if the only people trying to survive live in places that are not NY or CA?
2
Wow, bigoted some? The only smart people are in New York? everyone in Los Angeles is dull? Midwesterners are some mediocre in between?
There are smart, interesting people everywhere, and just as much, there are dull and pompous people everywhere. Even in Michigan.
There are smart, interesting people everywhere, and just as much, there are dull and pompous people everywhere. Even in Michigan.
1
Now, there I believe I might be bored.
As an artist, I am permanently driven and never bored. I used to be jealous of people who could experience boredom, because it means you have a clear mind and are living in the moment.
Then I watched the premier of Better Call Saul and was bored out of my mind but forced myself to try to watch the whole episode because Breaking Bad was one of the few TV shows I liked. That was just about enough boredom for me for the next decade.
Then I watched the premier of Better Call Saul and was bored out of my mind but forced myself to try to watch the whole episode because Breaking Bad was one of the few TV shows I liked. That was just about enough boredom for me for the next decade.
8
I agree and great piece! I had a three week period last September, and was off the grid with lots of time on my hands, and my creativity was off the charts artistically, with my writing, and oddly playing ping pong when I hadn't picked up a paddle in years - hitting it with both hands very fast, like Forrest Gump!
I had another long period with lots of idle time more recently, again with no electronics, and I wrote over 300 pages for my new book, 20 song parodies and drew over 50 illustrations.
I had another long period with lots of idle time more recently, again with no electronics, and I wrote over 300 pages for my new book, 20 song parodies and drew over 50 illustrations.
9
Before the advent of technology, people whose needs were satisfied in terms of food and shelter and were isolated must have faced similar problems. There is one thing you can explore no matter what circumstance you're in and its mysteries are still enormous (and I say this as a scientist who works on cutting edge research in biology, so there's very little I feel is as inacessible). And that is your mind - doing mind science is something you can do yourself and this is what monks and ascetics of all kinds have been doing for thousands of years. The Internet can aid you in this but nothing lifts the doors of perception as much as deep meditation. It's the kind of thing where you mostly can be alert on demand (most people I know who do this for hours complain they go to sleep, but I don't have this problem). As I mentioned, I do a lot of computational modelling of biological systems but my ultimate goal in doing is to be able to simulate the brain at an atomic level and understand how our minds work.
--Ram
http://compbio.org
http://ram.org
--Ram
http://compbio.org
http://ram.org
2
Thank you. As a retired person I often find myself with time. Not that I ever make big dents in my written or mental to do lists. I totally agree with the link to creativity. Recently wondering where I go next.
12
I don't really get bored often because I read a lot and fill up that mental space thinking about stuff like the AIDS outbreak in Indiana and free needle programs... But, I remember when I had a TV the feeling of being depressingly bored. Got rid of the TV about seven years ago, and it's never happened since.
25
Creatively speaking, being fired was the best thing for me ever. The downside, however, comes when I run out of art supplies. Like NOW.
10
I agree. I have been learning to play the 32 Beethoven Sonatas and sundry other swaths of the classical repertoire after being told my services were no longer required. Thank goodness for imslp and my tablet (used to spend countless hours combing places like Powells for my scores, now it's free; sorry you can't yet download paints and canvasses as easily!). But it's no fun appeasing the landlord or worrying about utilities. I thank Heaven for each of my piano students.
I was on the Beethoven project while employed, but enforced "leisure" (financial torments aside) has been the ultimate musical boon (well, among other boons).
I was on the Beethoven project while employed, but enforced "leisure" (financial torments aside) has been the ultimate musical boon (well, among other boons).
3
I am bored all my life. Now there are MOOC's, and what better place to waste time.
I've actually read some of your other writing and . . . it is not boring.
Please keep up the non-kayaking, thank you.
Please keep up the non-kayaking, thank you.
22
We might say that research is boring except to the researcher. The actual final product might yield some interesting results (such as the fact that Abraham Lincoln is presently the only US President never to have spent an earlier day as Vice President, Governor, Senator, cabinet member, or General), but only after you have reviewed the files, likely more than once. We do or did the research with the confidence that we would find something worthwhile, a little nugget (or more) that might represent hours or days of work, knowing it might often not justify the time we spent on the project.
The hard part is not necessarily getting to peculiar or interesting findings (did you know that since Montana cast its first general election presidential votes in 1892 that no party's candidate has swept all eight states that start with the letter M?), but trying to discover if they actually mean anything or are just bits of worthless trivia. "The crackling jolts" don't really come from discovery of data points or series of facts, but from the discovery that they mean something and can actually be used to help us better understand the subject.
The hard part is not necessarily getting to peculiar or interesting findings (did you know that since Montana cast its first general election presidential votes in 1892 that no party's candidate has swept all eight states that start with the letter M?), but trying to discover if they actually mean anything or are just bits of worthless trivia. "The crackling jolts" don't really come from discovery of data points or series of facts, but from the discovery that they mean something and can actually be used to help us better understand the subject.
9
College taught me how to research, and to think. But it also spoiled me, since I'm unconstitutionally incapable of relaxing. Cursed with a squirrely mind, the concept of relaxation is totally alien.
So, while for this author the Internet opened up vistas of discovery and led to a whole new career, the online world simply reinforces my inability to relax, particularly if I can't tear myself away at night.
So, like so many things, one woman's blessing is another woman's curse when it comes to boredom and/or the Internet. One gets to discover her true calling, and the other gets to indulge in her real dream--instant information, available all the time, anywhere, as much as she wants-only to find you can occasionally get too much of a good thing.
So, while for this author the Internet opened up vistas of discovery and led to a whole new career, the online world simply reinforces my inability to relax, particularly if I can't tear myself away at night.
So, like so many things, one woman's blessing is another woman's curse when it comes to boredom and/or the Internet. One gets to discover her true calling, and the other gets to indulge in her real dream--instant information, available all the time, anywhere, as much as she wants-only to find you can occasionally get too much of a good thing.
33
Meditation - practice quieting your mind and there are doors of perception that can be unveiled that is almost as trippy as the most psychedelics. This takes a lot of practice though but even a few moments (10 seconds or 10 deep breaths) will produce results. I felt I had an extremely squirrel-like mind and even now I am incapable of relaxing but meditation isn't the same as doing nothing (even though others may perceive it as such). It is an art, science, and a philosophy.
--Ram
http://compbio.org
http://ram.org
--Ram
http://compbio.org
http://ram.org
5
I was bored and so read this story. & 100% of it is true
16
some people need to keep busy, others do not. I spent most of my working life as a teacher of literature dying for the time when I could stop and live my life doing nothing. I worked to earn a living. Had anyone offered to pay me my salary for not teaching literature, I would have taken them up in an instant even though I loved teaching. Much better to be the master of my own time. I'd rather sit looking at a kayak on the floor in the shop than spend that time on the internet. At least I would be in control of the thoughts I thought. As for boredom, I think people who have a lively imagination are rarely bored. And people who simply enjoy the mundane activities of everyday living are rarely bored. I'm not sure Ms. Mann explore all the possibilities open to her in the quiet time in the kayak shop. Perhaps a great novel or two might have opened up new worlds to her, or listening to music or playing an instrument or any of the hundreds of things one could become interested in. But the internet? Well, to each his own.
46
I am more surprised she had so little knowledge or experience of the internet in 2009! It was hardly a new thing 5-6 years ago.
But really, I cannot get past the idea that a kayak shop would keep her on the payroll -- doing nothing -- just sitting there, surfing the net. Even at minimum wage! when the recession hit in late 2008, my employer promptly laid off 2/3rds of the staff....many of whom, being over 50, never found another job again.
Now they have plenty of time to surf the net -- at the public library -- having been driven into desperate poverty.
But really, I cannot get past the idea that a kayak shop would keep her on the payroll -- doing nothing -- just sitting there, surfing the net. Even at minimum wage! when the recession hit in late 2008, my employer promptly laid off 2/3rds of the staff....many of whom, being over 50, never found another job again.
Now they have plenty of time to surf the net -- at the public library -- having been driven into desperate poverty.
Nicely written piece. I'm like you, except I haven't published in the NYT.
5
@bettiebill
It may have been a financial transaction.
The Times won't tell.
It may have been a financial transaction.
The Times won't tell.
Come paddle with us in Yonkers. The Hudson is not boring.
8
George Will, in a letter to his daughter, once referred to boredom as "the shriek of unused capacities". I've always like that!
4
Perhaps he was quoting Saul Bellow? Still great quote and thank you for it.
“Boredom is the conviction that you can't change ... the shriek of unused capacities.”― Saul Bellow, The Adventures of Augie March
“Boredom is the conviction that you can't change ... the shriek of unused capacities.”― Saul Bellow, The Adventures of Augie March
9
Thanks for catching that. Glenn
1
A kayak guide. Well child I can tell you why it was not a roaring success.
Don't head for the rocks can be explained in any language.
Maybe ski bunny may be more your line?
Don't head for the rocks can be explained in any language.
Maybe ski bunny may be more your line?
2
Maybe you should use that biting wit to pen an op for the NYT, rather than messing around in the comments section.
One must learn to waste time conscientiously.
6
Lovely and brilliant article. Perhaps I should be sitting on a bread oven.
5
Mary, you are also an engaging writer.
9
I don't think I've been bored for more than 20 minutes in the last 20 years. Find interesting work, marry a high-maintenance woman, get yourself a few kids to support through college
and a bit beyond, fill the house with cats and dogs, live close to the ocean, a good public library, some nice parks and lots of Chinese restaurants, and you won't have time to get bored.
and a bit beyond, fill the house with cats and dogs, live close to the ocean, a good public library, some nice parks and lots of Chinese restaurants, and you won't have time to get bored.
55
Dallas isn't close to the ocean... Just sayin'
24
About 4 hrs. by car to Galveston Island ... Just answering.
8
People underestimate the beach life in Texas--with 350+ miles of beach, and only four to five hours drive from Dallas, for example. For weekending, beaches certainly are on the Dallas list!
1
attributed to Dorothy Parker
"The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity."
the caveat being that one needs a certain minimum of free time and disposable income to pursue their curiosity, and while some of it may be innate, it still must be encouraged by one's family, teachers, and friends.