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What the mysterious boredom divide teaches us
Boredom is not that simple to explain
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 and modern society
Boredom is sometimes described as the plague of modern society.
- Back in 2016, a French worker sued his former employer for "bore-out." He won.
- Many people, especially those born between mid -1990s and late 2010s, scrolls aimlessly through apps and find nothing of interest.
- People are even diagnosing their pets with boredom.
The struggle to define boredom
Psychologists differ in their definition of boredom.
- In the 1960s and 1970s, boredom was defined as the feeling generated by a repetitive task. Researchers found that boredom increased alertness to the things happening around you (distractions).
- From 1986, the opposite was found. A study found that boredom caused less concentration.
Five types of boredom
Psychologists now know there are at least five types of boredom.
- Calibrating boredom: You have wandering thoughts and a feeling of not knowing what to do.
- Reactive boredom: You feel aggressive towards your detainer - a teacher or the workplace - and dwell on the things you would rather be doing.
- Searching boredom: You feel restless and search for a way out.
- Indifferent boredom: You feel relaxed and separate from the world around you.
- Apathetic boredom: You feel neither good nor bad, but helpless to avoid the feeling.
What the boredom signal is telling you
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.
Dull downsides of boredom
- Bored people are more susceptible to impulsive behaviour, substance abuse, gambling addiction, compulsive mobile phone use, depression, etc.
- Boredom also seems to be linked to many personality disorders, such as covert narcissism. These people think they are incredibly talented, but feel they are not given credit for it. Other personality traits linked to boredom include anger and neuroticism.
- Altogether, being prone to boredom may be partly caused by having poor emotional control.
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Focus And The Brain
When we’re consciously doing things we’re using the “executive attention network, ” the parts of the brain that control and inhibit our attention. The attention network makes it possible for us to relate directly to the world presently around us.
By contrast, when our minds wander, we activate the brain’s “default mode network, ” which is the brain “at rest”; not focused on an external, goal-oriented task. In this mode, we still tap about 95% of the energy we use when our brains are engaged in focused thinking.
Types Of Daydreaming
- Poor attention control: when people with poor attention control drift into daydreaming. These people are anxious, easily distracted, and have difficulty concentrating, even on their daydreams.
- Guilty-dysphoric: when our thoughts drift to unproductive and negative places. We berate ourselves for perceived mistakes or flaws and feel emotions like guilt, anxiety, and anger.
- Positive-constructive: when our thoughts veer toward the imaginative; it reflects our drive to explore ideas and feelings, plan, and problem-solve.
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Boredom Sparks Creativity
Boredom is an unsatisfied search for neural stimulation. But, there is scientific evidence that boredom prompts the mind to entertain itself and can enable creativity and problem-solving ...
Boredom Is Good
Daydreaming can be “quite a respite” and provide a brief escape from day-to-day life. But it’s also beneficial to simply step away from distractions, obligations, and stressors long enough to feel bored and let your mind recharge.
How To Be Bored The Right Way
Don’t conflate boredom with relaxation. A purposefully tranquil activity, such as yoga or meditation, likely doesn’t meet the definition of trying and failing to find stimulation.
To tap into true boredom, unplug, pick an activity that requires little or no concentration and simply let your mind wander, without music or stimulation to guide it.
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Evolution of the term "boredom"
Charles Dickens popularised the term boredom in 1853. Boredom became particularly popular in English Victorian writing in describing the life of the upper class, where boredom was indicatin...
A change in perception about boredom
In the 20th century, psychologists gained an understanding of many emotions, but boredom was left alone. In 1972, psychoanalyst Erich Fromm declared boredom as "the most important source of aggression and destructiveness today."
The image of boredom changed again in the past few decades and with it, an appreciation of the emotion.
The science of boredom
- Researchers found that boredom can indeed be problematic. Those who get bored quickly are more likely to be depressed and anxious, tend to be aggressive and see life as less meaningful.
- But researchers also found a much brighter side of boredom. Boredom encourages a search for meaning in life, it increases exploration and inspires novelty seeking. Boredom enables people to reconsider what they are currently doing in favour of more rewarding alternatives.
Thus, it seems that boredom helps regulate our behaviour and stops us from getting stuck in unrewarding situations.