In this world full of wonders, only the human race could invent “boredom”. I have been to nearly every part of this planet we call Earth, with the only continent that I have not stepped foot on yet, being Antarctica. I have even been under the North Pole, by US Navel Submarine. How one could ever be or even find they are bored, is to me somewhat of a real mystery. Guess I am a naturally industrious human, and have not often find myself bored, please note the words “not often”, as boredom can and will get us all, from time to time. Just be ready for it!
When someone is bored, they mainly don’t like what they’re doing, but don’t really know what else to do. The missing element here is a good idea. So, when you feel the pang of boredom, take it is a strong signal to stop and THINK! If you don’t like what you’re doing, shouldn’t you STOP doing it? Boredom is a state of passivity and its opposite is a state of activity and creativity. It is our human nature to rise to and thrive on challenges. What is boredom, but the clear absence of a challenge, as I see it?
Boredom is a condition characterized by wandering attention, impaired efficiency, and low levels of overall arousal. It is sometimes confused with fatigue, but boredom usually results from too little stimulation, motivation, and interest. It commonly occurs in those who regularly deal with monotonous routines. Unlike fatigue, boredom leads to a lack of desire to anything, rather than an inability to anything. Boredom is one of the main reasons why people stop doing things.
Boredom truly stimulates the search for better ways to things like nothing else can. How many improvements in processes and ways of producing things have come about because the people doing the job are so damn bored with going over same thing again and again? My guess is that it’s the single biggest spur to working smarter, above any cost-cutting or abstract ideas of ‘constant improvement’ is only bored people looking for other kinds of answers.
It’s become a truism that vast amounts of creativity and improvement are available from simply asking those who do some job how they might do it better. Those dull places where processes never change, and people spend their working days with minds numbed by boredom, relieved only by gossip, get that way because the people in charge are control freaks who can’t stand that anyone might have an independent idea to improve things.
Boredom can be an absolutely horrible disease that is unfortunately very contagious. The overall effects of this disease will vary between person to person. Would you believe that some people could, and have died from boredom? I have read that it was boredom that killed Elvis Presley. Sadly, yes, the King is dead! Sorry if my blog is the one breaking this horrific news to you!
People who use the sentences "I could die of boredom" or "I'm dying of boredom" or some form of the previous seem to have been affected by this disease many times. When affected more than once, you can become more vulnerable to this ailment. If someone you know is using the above “quoted” terms, get them help at once. The easiest cure is almost painless (most of the time), Near continuous entertainment is one workable answer. And just getting them to think a little bit, will help lead them to a workable cure.
Boredom may be a boring subject, but it’s an important one because it is the source of much misery. You see, it is accompanied by, or leads to, feelings of loneliness, emptiness, helplessness, inadequacy, sadness, despair, and even depression, in my humble option. When allowed to spin out of control, any of these listed topics, there can be serious repercussions. For example, some may try to escape boredom by turning to drugs, gambling, or alcohol. Yet, all they succeed in actually doing is compounding their problems. Addictions from each of these traps could lead the truly bored in a world of darkness from which they cannot seem to ever escape. So, something as innocent as boredom can have severe consequences if it is not dealt with quickly and correctly.
If we are not bored when we are busy, I feel that we should be happy when we are sometimes bored. Why? Because boredom could tell us that we have some free time. And this free time is a valuable resource that can be used to enrich our lives. It’s this period that can be devoted to friends, family, rest, or personal development. When we’re at work or in school, there are only a few ways to spend our time, but during our time off, we are free to use it as we see fit. We can use it to create meaning in our lives and experience greater fulfillment. But only if we take the time to stop and think before we act.
In any learning environment, a common cause of boredom is a clear lack of understanding; for instance, if one is not following or connecting to the material in a class or lecture, it will usually seem boring. However, the opposite can also be true; something that is too easily understood, simple or transparent, can also be boring. Boredom is often inversely related to learning, and in any schooling, it may be a sign that a student is not challenged enough, or is too challenged. An activity that is predictable to the students is likely to bore them greatly as well. I learned this fact very much as I taught school at the middle and high school levels, in the past.
I also truly believe that a little boredom is frequently a positive thing as it allows us to truly ponder, brood and reflect. It's almost as if we are forced to do these things when we are bored. There is also the potential for us to moan, degrade and waste away. The choice is up to each of us human beings in our life. It's hard to figure out what causes one person sometimes to channel their boredom into energy and self-improvement, or sometimes to allow it to stagnate deep within their soul.
Although it has not been widely studied, research on boredom suggests that boredom is a major factor impacting diverse areas of a person's life. People ranked low on a boredom-proneness scale were found to have better performance in a wide variety of aspects of their lives, including career, education, financial and autonomy. Boredom can even be an early symptom of clinical depression. Boredom can also be a form of learned helplessness, a phenomenon closely related to depression. Some philosophies of parenting propose that if children are raised in an environment devoid of stimuli, and are not allowed or encouraged to interact with their environment, they may fail to develop the mental capacities to do so later in life.
Now while this blog is based on only my reading, life experiences and studies, I plan to keep sharing my found opinions and points of knowledge, as I feel and come across them. All the while trying my hardest not to bore any reader that happens across my blog, and while still trying to find many Other Kinds Of Answers…, at the same time.
