Writer's Block Magazine

(Photo of the painting Indian Summer by Józef Chełmoński)

“Is life not a thousand times too short for us to bore ourselves?” asks the famous philosopher Nietzsche. This rhetorical question underlines the most prevalent assumption in society towards boredom as a detrimental state of being. However, there is a substantial difference between boredom that is experienced permanently, and a boredom experienced as a transitory phase. The first type of boredom is more connected to psychopathologies such as depression and existential crisis, and the second one occurs as a passing emotional state contributing to finding a more meaningful activity. Here, I will try to reevaluate the predominantly negative perception of boredom in favour of an approach that assesses both positive and negative outcomes of the phenomenon. 

Illustrating Boredom

Imagine it is a dull, rainy Saturday morning, you have no activities planned and you are sitting on your bed, wearing cozy but sweaty pyjamas, your eyes mindlessly wandering through the room and on your lips a pressing question: “what will I do today?”. This classic situation illustrates boredom as a state of mind characterized by a lack of interest and challenge, in search of a new kind of stimuli. However, boredom not only happens when you are not performing any kind of activity, it happens every moment you think that what you are doing is unsatisfactory. The latest psychological research on the phenomena describes it as a natural emotional state seeking mind stimulating experiences. It is brought upon by a lack of successful attentional engagement in valued, meaningful activities (Westgate & Wilson, 2018). This provides a more complex understanding of boredom which is more than simply “having nothing to do”, it is more related to the quality and depth of our engagement with the world around us. It makes us consider not only “What should I do?” but “What do I want to engage with?”, “What am I aiming at?” and “How can I fill the void within me that desires meaning?” 

Institutional Boredom

It has been discovered that this feeling of emotional void tends to occur more within structured environments like schools, universities, and workplaces, a phenomenon referred to as institutional boredom. Psychological research supports the assertion that in settings where autonomy is significantly restricted, instances of boredom can increase by up to 80% (Wiley 8). That is the main reason why experiencing boredom varies with regards to age. Children and teenagers report being bored more frequently than adults due to their lack of independence. The culprit in their situation is an educational system; children report in surveys that they are bored 30-40% of the time at school. On the one hand this data is a useful indicator of the problems faced by the education system but it also emphasises a known fact that people who are forced to perform routinized and repeated duties are more likely to suffer from a lack of stimuli. It happens with greater frequency in children but is also common among adults pursuing less meaningful careers, usually the ones connected with administration. Children’s boredom can also be accounted for by their lack of independence and agency that does not allow them to widen their range of activities as adults do. Passivity, helplessness, being unable to change one’s life situation, it appears is closely linked to a lack of interest in our environments which then leads us to consider the most dangerous type of boredom.

Boredom That Destroys

Social psychologist Timothy Wilson’s study revealed what great lengths people will go to escape boredom, preferring physical pain to the pain of self-reflection. The study also uncovered a gender disparity prevalent in our experiencing boredom: 67% of male participants in the study choose electric shock rather than sitting 15-minutes in silence as compared to 25% of women (Wilson 3). This split suggests that men are more inclined to seek external stimulation and find it more challenging to engage in self-reflection compared to women.The surprising results of the study help us to understand and explain the origin of many undesirable behaviours. Boredom, experienced as a permanent meaning crisis, can be a significant factor driving individuals toward harmful behaviors such as suicide, crime, substance abuse, and violence toward themselves and others. While many become demoralised by prolonged periods of boredom, a smaller portion may resort to extreme measures to escape the feelings of disinterest and emptiness. One of the iconic examples comes from the legend of Faust, who, dissatisfied with the limits of human knowledge and life itself, makes a pact with Satan. Faust’s desire is not just for power or wealth, but for new experiences—an antidote to the existential boredom that torments him. In his search for meaning, he is willing to forfeit his soul to experience a perfect moment, encapsulating all the beauty that life has to offer. As he declares, “If ever I to the moment shall say: Beautiful moment, do not pass away! Then you may forge your chains to bind me, Then I will put my life behind me” (Goethe). This yearning for an elusive experience encapsulates the desperation to escape the tediousness and repetitiveness of life that each of us has to face at some point of their lives.

Boredom That Creates

While we established that boredom often equals pain or dissatisfaction, boredom is also at the core of human innovation. When we are bored, we are out of our focus zone, our mind is allowed to wander, discover, reflect and reevaluate and we discover previously unknown spots and services. These may include engaging in new activities, formulating short-term or long-term plans, or pursuing ideas that brim with creative potential and excite us for the future. Our pursuits may not only benefit us personally but can also contribute to society at large, whether through the creation of art or advancements in scientific research. Boredom drives the progress of humanity. If we were content with our current reality, we would not seek new solutions to our ever-going onslaught of problems. Mobile phones, for instance, might never have been invented had people in the past not grown dissatisfied with their old ways of communication, even though they had lived without them for so long. Similarly, household appliances like dishwashers and washing machines—now staples of modern living—would not exist if people had been happy with how they did chores before. The same can be said for art. One more poem or novel might not seem at first to bring a revolutionary change to the literary landscape, yet certain works like my favourites, Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice, have become indispensable to the English literary canon. However, before 1813 or 1847 respectively, no one had felt their absence, but today it is hard to imagine the canon without them. What I am getting at is that boredom, this peculiar and transient state of mind—blank and chaotic as it may seem—actually offers us the opportunity to venture into unknown territories, realms beyond the mundane tasks of life, a realm of pure creation. What you create does not have to be a masterpiece or even art; it may be small but still valuable to you. To create and reflect—that is the right response to boredom!

Seven Tips How to Deal With Boredom

Here I will provide you a list that might help you deal with the dissatisfaction connected to boredom. Remember you are to decide how to deal with boredom as Milton’s Satan, famously exclaims: “The mind is its own place, and in itself/Can make a Heav’n of Hell, a Hell of Heav’n. (Milton)” You need to be aware of your own potential in generating your pleasurable or painful emotional states.

1. Find new hobbies – Explore sports, art, or science to stimulate your mind.
2. Connect with people – Engage in meaningful conversations; listening to others can offer fresh perspectives.
3. Give meaning to small actions – Find purpose in everyday activities.
4. Plan ahead – Direct your energy toward future goals.
5. Prepare activities in advance – Have tasks like cleaning, reading, or helping others ready for when boredom strikes.
6. Avoid constant distraction – Embrace boredom rather than seeking to avoid it at all costs.
7. Use boredom for creativity – Reflect on your feelings and let boredom spark new ideas.

Conclusion

In the end, boredom is not such a bad thing after all, is it? It can drive us mad, make us furious or sad, yet it also holds the potential to transform our lives—if only we listen to the voice of the void telling us “get up and change”. Whether it pushes you to mindlessly scroll through social media, slip into depression, invent a new type of technology, or even write the next great novel or a completely forgettable one, the creative power of boredom is indisputable. And while I could sit here reflecting on all the facets of boredom for a bit longer… truth be told, I am starting to get a little bored of the topic myself. So, maybe it’s time to move on to something new? =)

Works Cited

Goethe, Johann Wolfgang. Faust. Translated by Bayard Taylor, Project Gutenberg, 2008, https://www.gutenberg.org/files/14591/14591-h/14591-h.htm. Accessed 17.09.2024

Westgate, Erin C, and Brianna Steidle. “Lost by Definition: Why Boredom Matters for Psychology and Society.” Social and personality psychology compass 14.11 (2020): n. pag. Web.

Wilson, Timothy D., et al. “Just Think: The Challenges of the Disengaged Mind.” Science, vol. 345, no. 6192, 2014, pp. 75-77. doi:10.1126/science.1250830.

Milton, John. Paradise Lost. Project Gutenberg, 1667, http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20. Accessed 18.09.2024.

Written by Aleksandra Szcześniak