Comments on: The Evils of Partial Boredom http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2009/01/29/the-evils-of-partial-boredom/ Mon, 06 Sep 2010 13:53:24 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Natasha http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2009/01/29/the-evils-of-partial-boredom/comment-page-1/#comment-364025 Natasha Sat, 14 Nov 2009 03:22:32 +0000 http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2009/01/29/the-evils-of-partial-boredom/#comment-364025 theres times iv gone through a whole day on the computer, but i have depression aswell and other things. i think somethings wrong with me because complete boredom doesnt drive me, it just makes me depressed and angry and even more not wanting to get up and do anything, il stay in bed til 2 in the afternoon most days and miss everything even though i know im going to feel terrible, so i know im different from the usual pattern. at the moment i don't seek pain but i also don't seek pleasure, because there is none. sorry if this is a useless comment i just think i must have a different form or boredom i was wondering what it was. theres times iv gone through a whole day on the computer, but i have depression aswell and other things. i think somethings wrong with me because complete boredom doesnt drive me, it just makes me depressed and angry and even more not wanting to get up and do anything, il stay in bed til 2 in the afternoon most days and miss everything even though i know im going to feel terrible, so i know im different from the usual pattern. at the moment i don’t seek pain but i also don’t seek pleasure, because there is none. sorry if this is a useless comment i just think i must have a different form or boredom i was wondering what it was.

]]> By: David Safar’s Uplift! » Blog Archive » When Is Boredom Not Boredom? http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2009/01/29/the-evils-of-partial-boredom/comment-page-1/#comment-284496 David Safar’s Uplift! » Blog Archive » When Is Boredom Not Boredom? Sat, 07 Feb 2009 10:48:10 +0000 http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2009/01/29/the-evils-of-partial-boredom/#comment-284496 [...] both Scott H. Young and Cal Newport wrote articles about boredom. But I remain unconvinced that boredom is the real problem [...] [...] both Scott H. Young and Cal Newport wrote articles about boredom. But I remain unconvinced that boredom is the real problem [...]

]]> By: Katie http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2009/01/29/the-evils-of-partial-boredom/comment-page-1/#comment-282420 Katie Mon, 02 Feb 2009 15:21:18 +0000 http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2009/01/29/the-evils-of-partial-boredom/#comment-282420 Maybe, it is even the other way round. Boredom is not something that happens. There are so many stimulating things that we pursue as kids and still did if we had not been stopped in the meantime. At school, and since then, we get looked at as the language guy/ sportsperson/ science geek. The effect is that one has to defend oneself if being interested in more things and secondly, if you do not happen to end up in any of the 'special virtue'-boxes, you are discoureged to do something in that area as you are not good enough. Well, that causes boredom. Not being able to follow one's interest in more than a few fields. Once, grown up, you either let other fill up your mind (as it is not being used otherwise) or you realise that there must be something else but you do not know how to get there. Maybe, it is even the other way round. Boredom is not something that happens. There are so many stimulating things that we pursue as kids and still did if we had not been stopped in the meantime. At school, and since then, we get looked at as the language guy/ sportsperson/ science geek. The effect is that one has to defend oneself if being interested in more things and secondly, if you do not happen to end up in any of the ’special virtue’-boxes, you are discoureged to do something in that area as you are not good enough.
Well, that causes boredom. Not being able to follow one’s interest in more than a few fields.
Once, grown up, you either let other fill up your mind (as it is not being used otherwise) or you realise that there must be something else but you do not know how to get there.

]]> By: andres jimenez http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2009/01/29/the-evils-of-partial-boredom/comment-page-1/#comment-281587 andres jimenez Sat, 31 Jan 2009 17:56:44 +0000 http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2009/01/29/the-evils-of-partial-boredom/#comment-281587 I replied here with some links on boredom and different buddhism perspectives, are those pending? I have nothing to do with those sites of course. I replied here with some links on boredom and different buddhism perspectives, are those pending? I have nothing to do with those sites of course.

]]> By: Ryan Biddulph http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2009/01/29/the-evils-of-partial-boredom/comment-page-1/#comment-281058 Ryan Biddulph Thu, 29 Jan 2009 23:15:07 +0000 http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2009/01/29/the-evils-of-partial-boredom/#comment-281058 Hi Scott, Nice post. I got rid of cable completely, it was boring the heck out of me. Other than a few select shows I feel that it's a wasteland and destroys productivity. I list out all daily tasks and assign a specified time frame to each one. Completing these tasks takes up the majority of my day. I have little room for boredom since I am busy working toward my goals. Ryan Hi Scott,

Nice post. I got rid of cable completely, it was boring the heck out of me. Other than a few select shows I feel that it’s a wasteland and destroys productivity.

I list out all daily tasks and assign a specified time frame to each one. Completing these tasks takes up the majority of my day. I have little room for boredom since I am busy working toward my goals.

Ryan

]]> By: Gary http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2009/01/29/the-evils-of-partial-boredom/comment-page-1/#comment-281043 Gary Thu, 29 Jan 2009 21:35:52 +0000 http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2009/01/29/the-evils-of-partial-boredom/#comment-281043 I'm loving this little thread of your on boredom. It's such a temptation to fill gaps of time with stuff that is only mildly amusing, just to avoid boredom, or even any form of dissatisfaction. Our society is geared up for constant input, so that it is extremely challenging to face moments of doing nothing, waiting, or even the practice of meditation. I know all too well my tendency to jump from one website to the next, or one book to the next looking for answers, and finding life out of my grasp. So true, this pain is a great motivator for change. I’m loving this little thread of your on boredom. It’s such a temptation to fill gaps of time with stuff that is only mildly amusing, just to avoid boredom, or even any form of dissatisfaction. Our society is geared up for constant input, so that it is extremely challenging to face moments of doing nothing, waiting, or even the practice of meditation. I know all too well my tendency to jump from one website to the next, or one book to the next looking for answers, and finding life out of my grasp.

So true, this pain is a great motivator for change.

]]> By: Vlad Dolezal http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2009/01/29/the-evils-of-partial-boredom/comment-page-1/#comment-281013 Vlad Dolezal Thu, 29 Jan 2009 19:03:36 +0000 http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2009/01/29/the-evils-of-partial-boredom/#comment-281013 Last summer, I had a related experience, though it's not quite the same thing you're talking about. I would spend hours a day browsing mildly interesting websites, because I had nothing better to do. In other words, partial boredom. Then I went on a holiday where I had no internet access (the nearest WiFi hotspot was 30 minutes' journey away). So when I had nothing to do, I entered the state of complete boredom. And it made me VERY creative, because I had to rely on my own mind to stop me from being bored. I would think of lots of writing ideas, and play around with tons of interesting maths. Complete boredom can actually be a blessing, because it drives you to do creative stuff. I remember hearing about some mathematician who did his best work while he was stuck in prison for 6 months for political reasons. (Though when he got a chance to get out, he got the hell out :p) That being said, you're spot on. Like I wrote in my most recent blog post, humans are motivated by two things - avoiding pain and seeking pleasure. Your approach increases the pain of doing nothing, so that it drives you to actually get out there and do something interesting with your life. Partial boredom simply isn't that painful, so people can't be bothered to change it. Last summer, I had a related experience, though it’s not quite the same thing you’re talking about.

I would spend hours a day browsing mildly interesting websites, because I had nothing better to do. In other words, partial boredom.

Then I went on a holiday where I had no internet access (the nearest WiFi hotspot was 30 minutes’ journey away). So when I had nothing to do, I entered the state of complete boredom. And it made me VERY creative, because I had to rely on my own mind to stop me from being bored. I would think of lots of writing ideas, and play around with tons of interesting maths.

Complete boredom can actually be a blessing, because it drives you to do creative stuff. I remember hearing about some mathematician who did his best work while he was stuck in prison for 6 months for political reasons. (Though when he got a chance to get out, he got the hell out :p)

That being said, you’re spot on. Like I wrote in my most recent blog post, humans are motivated by two things – avoiding pain and seeking pleasure. Your approach increases the pain of doing nothing, so that it drives you to actually get out there and do something interesting with your life. Partial boredom simply isn’t that painful, so people can’t be bothered to change it.

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