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We may tend to think of boredom as a response to monotonous activities. But boredom isn't this clearcut.
Research reveals that there's a significant variation in how much boredom each person can deal with.
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Boredom is sometimes described as the plague of modern society.
Psychologists differ in their definition of boredom.
Psychologists now know there are at least five types of boredom.
The boredom signal is telling you that you are failing to interact with the world. The negative emotion is trying to motivate you. We really want to be cognitively engaged.
Only some people allow themselves to become bored. They recognise that sense of restlessness and find a way to turn things around.
RELATED IDEAS
While boredom signifies a lack of stimulus, pauses in engagement can be of great value. Being able to appreciate this means you won’t get bored and will be able to find things of interest to think or find contentment in simply being.
Instead of trying to monetize or avoid idle time, use it to develop inner resources, such as curiosity, playfulness, imagination, perseverance and agency. From that all sorts of fulfilling activities can emerge.
A slightly unpleasant emotional state associated with receptiveness to “boredom-reducing options, ” but not necessarily an active search for them. Characterized by wandering thoughts, not knowing what to do, and a “general openness” to activities unrelated to the present situation.