“If I lived a positive life in a real enough, saturated sense of self, there would be no such thing as boredom,” says German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer. But boredom exists and puts us in a state of "obsession with defense" of ourselves in the face of it, which sometimes leads us to escape from its influence, even for the worse.
A study found that 25% of women and 76% of men subjected themselves to electric shocks, to get rid of the boring atmosphere in which the experiment put them, and preferred pain over feeling bored.
As one of the personalities of the French writer Albert Camus did in the novel "The Fall", when "he spent his life marrying a woman he did not love, because he was bored and wanted to fill his void, even if slavery was in the idol."
But boredom is a part of our life that may not be without benefit, and the increased global spending on the entertainment industry will not succeed in eliminating it, because boredom tells us that we need to do something more enjoyable and beneficial, which makes it a catalyst for change and progress.
In his book "The Conquest of Happiness," British philosopher Bertrand Russell says, "Those who cannot tolerate boredom are people who have broken their bond with the careful mechanism of nature, and their motives will slowly wither, as if they were cut flowers in a vase."
There is no life without boredom
Boredom is an uncomfortable feeling, which we try to avoid with addiction following the news and social media most of the time. But scientific research has proven that our minds lose their ability to think when we do so, because feeling bored is what motivates us to start thinking about solutions.
When the researchers gave a group of participants boring tasks - such as reading a phone book - and then asked them to be creative, they discovered that those who were in the most extreme cases of boredom, presented the most creative solutions.
Boredom warns you that something is not right, and motivates you to make positive changes in your life, and without it everything will remain frozen, and you may lose many emotional and social experiences.
Studies also revealed that boredom makes us more selfless, as we think about others and help them. More bored participants showed more enthusiasm to volunteer in charity or donate blood, motivated by their desire to overcome the void and use the opportunity to do positive things.
When you get bored in your phone, you relieve a moment of boredom, but you also make yourself less creative, and less likely to value your life and set goals for your future. Do not repeat the experience of those who electrocuted themselves to avoid boredom, because our brains may need it more than they need to remember many passwords that allow us to access our phone applications.
8 reasons to feel bored
Shahram Heshmat, Professor of Public Health at the University of Illinois, summarized the reasons for boredom on Psychology Today, with the following:
1. The monotony of the mind , so any repeated and predictable experience that affects the mind through monotony and becomes boring, such as tasks that require constant attention, waiting at the airport, and the life of prisoners.
2. Lack of flow , and flow is achieved when a person's skills are compatible with the tasks he performs, and includes clear goals and tangible results, while easy tasks are often boring.
3. The need for adventure , for those who have a tendency to excitement and a spirit of adventure - for example, skydivers - see that the world is moving very slowly, which makes them vulnerable to boredom.
4. Attention : People with chronic problems of attention and hyperactivity are very prepared for boredom.
5. Lack of emotional awareness , so those who lack the ability to express what they want to do, and have difficulty describing their feelings or knowing what makes them happy, suffering from boredom.
6. Inner entertainment skills , for those who lack the internal capabilities to deal with boredom in a fun and constructive way, they often fail to provide enough excitement to dispel it.
7. Lack of independence . People ’lack of freedom that enables them to implement what they want, their sense of boredom is exacerbated.
8. Culture . When our ancestors spent time securing food and shelter, the luxury of boredom was not available.
The consequences of surrender to boredom
A recent study of people in quarantine in Italy found that boredom is the second most common problem after the loss of freedom. According to Professor Heshmat, several studies have shown that:
1. Chronic boredom situations cause loneliness, anger, sadness and anxiety, and prompt you to do anything to relieve pain.
2. Chronic boredom presents depression, excessive eating, alcohol and drug addiction.
3. Feeling bored is associated with unhealthy fast food and watching pornography online.
4. Boredom leads to procrastination, when people feel bored at work, their performance decreases significantly.
5. Giving in to boredom and not treating it is dangerous, as it keeps you from seeing yourself clearly.
A little boredom does not hurt
"Even if we are satisfied, it is okay with a little bit of boredom to help us review ourselves and set our pace to start with more beneficial actions," says British psychiatrist author Neil Burton. It is advised that we deal with boredom in more meaningful ways, rather than trying to escape from it, and fight an endless battle against it.
Irene C. Westgate, associate professor of psychology at the University of Florida, recommends some simple steps to overcome boredom, such as spreading stickers on the refrigerator, to remind us of the value and importance of what we do.
Also solving problems that cause boredom, such as the absence of long-term and meaningful activities, and the acquisition of skills and knowledge that reduce boredom, such as home repairs, or reading an interesting novel.
And finally, it is necessary to make way for ordinary pleasures without feeling guilty, such as indulging in watching TV, enjoying lovely foods, and communicating with others, all of which are very easy and effective alternatives to breaking boredom.