The 21st century may seem so far to have not been blessed with significant technological advances, at least when compared to the 20th century. There’s been an artificial intelligence boom (which may or may not be a bubble) in recent years, or at least something to talk about. Before that, most of us would have cited smartphones as defining modern developments, for better or for worse. Related to this, we could also zoom out and declare that humanity has eliminated boredom. But unlike, for example, the eradication of smallpox, the achievement was a mixed blessing at best. The reason is, as Harvard Business School professor Arthur C. Brooks says, of harvard business review video abovemust be boring.
“Boredom is the tendency to become cognitively disengaged, which causes your thinking system to switch and engage a part of your brain called the default mode network,” Brooks says. In this mode, which begins in the absence of other stimuli, we have to face the “big questions of meaning” in our lives, which are unpleasant in nature. “One of the reasons depression and anxiety are exploding so much in today’s society is because people don’t actually understand the meaning of their lives any more than they did in previous generations.” What is it that completely distances us from the need to consider it? Why “Even when I’m standing on a street corner waiting for a light to change, I pull out a screen in my pocket.”
“Everyone now has a pocket-sized computer,” wrote journalist Caleb Horton, who died last month. blog post Earlier this year, I wrote this to my own father in the 1980s. “You can look up encyclopedia articles and things like that, but I mainly use it to check the stock market and play a game called Candy Crush. It’s really just something you use your hands to do, just like with cigarettes.” He offers these recommendations for those suffering from the kind of strange malaise he feels is plaguing many of us in the hyper-connected 2020s: look Friends who usually just send text messages. When going on a long drive, turn off your cell phone while driving. Go back to your hobbies or choose one and study it for a while. ”
In other words, go offline and say, “If you try some of the normal things you hear so often and get bored, that’s great, because we shouldn’t be bored anymore. It turns out that boredom is the Cadillac of emotions.” Without that, we tend to end up headed for the junkyard. “If you pull out your phone every time you get a little bored, it becomes harder and harder to find meaning, which leads to depression, anxiety, and feelings of emptiness, all of which are through the roof, by the way.” By intentionally and regularly not checking your phone and actually avoiding exposing yourself to other sources of electrical stimulation, you can develop “boredom skills” that will not only help you cope with life’s grand problems, but also make you less bored with mundane life.
Related content:
The Benefits of Boredom: How to Stop Distracting and Generate Creative Ideas Again
Linda Barry talks about how smartphones are putting three ingredients of creativity at risk: loneliness, anxiety, and boredom.
How to harness boredom, the secret ingredient of creativity
David Lynch explains how meditation can boost our creativity (plus free resources to help you get started)
Are you bored at work? Here’s what your brain is trying to tell you
Meditation for Beginners: Monks and Teachers Explain the Basics
Based in Seoul, Colin Mbemust write and broadcastIt’s about cities, languages and cultures. His projects include the Substack newsletter books about cities and a book Stateless City: A Stroll Through Los Angeles in the 21st Century. Follow him on the social network formerly known as Twitter. @Colinbemust.
Source: Open Culture – www.openculture.com
