Boredom

Notes

Claim

Boredom is when you feel under stimulated, we lack Passion is deep desire that sustains intrinsic motivation through difficulty, when it's too easy. You become distant from what you do Indifference, paying little attention and focus more on the feeling itself. In that sense, it's similar to Burnout is chronic exhaustion from overwhelming demands. Both indicate a general lack of Intrinsic motivation drives action through internal alignment and passion and Focus is concentrated cognitive effort that maximizes performance on a single task.

Explanation

Common signs:

1. Weariness. You feel emotionally exhausted, and you lack sufficient emotional energy to cope with it
2. Withdrawal. You feel like you have lost your sense of purpose, which manifests into feelings of detachment and indifference

Why it matters

Boredom is not an enemy we should exterminate. It can help us in several way:

1. It can remind us that the good things in life is not the endless pursuit of pleasures, but rather the simple, small things Happiness is contentment
2. It can allow us time to think, clear our mind and focus on what we really want to instead of being drowned in constant noise. Relaxation activates inward thinking for creative problem-solving
3. It's a sign that what we're doing is either too easy, not fun, or unhelpful, so we should direct ourselves towards better pursuits

Depending on why something is boring, we can find ways to mitigate it. For example:

1. Boring tasks - sometimes we just have to do things that are boring, like washing dishes or filling forms. We can't avoid those, so perhaps adding a layer of Gamification increases motivation by making activities enjoyable or Bundling undesired tasks with enjoyable activities increases motivation can make the experience more enjoyable
2. changing course - if what bores us is our job, and not just small parts of it that are a natural part of every job, but rather the role as a whole, perhaps it's a sign we should quit

Examples

Supporters

Opposers

Open questions

Visual

Overview

🔼Topic:: Avoidance and Defense Mechanisms Origin:: Anne-Laure Le Cunff Origin:: Pursuit of Wonder Link:: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gc7wKr0XkN8