Okay, so I was just thinking about what boredom actually is. Obviously it can be different things for different people, and in different situations, but what is really behind the feeling that people recognize as "boredom"? I came up with some possible ideas (and, yes, I am bored as I'm writing this):
- You've just hit a lull in the day and you're temporarily without anything to occupy your mind. It will pass as soon as you get home, or get out of the house, or whatever.
- Social isolation. Lack of the mental/emotional stimulation that can come from being with people.
- Depression. Life seems dull and listless when you're depressed.
- Not enough responsibilities/things you have to do. You're unemployed or not in school or only partially employed, etc. and you just have too much time on your hands (btw, I realize that people may have very legitimate reasons for being in this situation - it's not meant as a criticism).
- You think too narrowly about interesting things you could be doing. You need to consider new possibilities, get new ideas of ways you could occupy yourself.
- You set the bar too high. You feel like you always have to be entertained and things should always be exciting or else life isn't giving you what it should be.
- Lack of direction. You just aren't really doing anything in your life that gives you the sense of "Yes, this is how I should be spending my time," and so everything kind of seems like an unsatisfying substitute for that.
- It just is what it is - stop over-analyzing!
So which of these do you feel best fits your own experience of boredom? Of course, add your own definitions if you want.
22 Dec 2012, 4:18 pm
