What Is The Bloody Point of Boredom???

Hello again ATS!

Here I sit, bored out of my ever loving mind. It is a Friday night and a younger, rowdier me would be stumbling home drunk just about this time of night. But those days are long gone. Instead I have been sitting at this desk looking for something that my mind might latch onto as "interesting" - or at least interesting enough for the sake of distraction.

Nothing satisfied. Hours spent looking to no avail.

As it happens I have what others would probably deem a fairly strange outlook ( mind ) and in something of a mental act of self-cannibalism, and with nothing to distract me, I began to lose myself in wanting to understand the function of boredom better. I mean surely it serves a purpose, no?

A theological person would state that God made us in his image and that we are perfect creations - thus boredom must serve some higher purpose if it were important enough for the Creator to hard wire us with the capability to feel it.

An athiest would state that we are products of evolution and the same applies. If the ability to become bored has not been bred out of us yet, over all this time, then surely it must have a useful side to it. It must be a somewhat necessary bit of baggage in the genes.

The first answer that came to my mind was that boredom probably was just nature, or Gods way of saying "Hey, you... you there. Get up off of your ass and do something productive ya dimwit!" It seemed to make senses. So I got up off of my ass and went through the house being productive for awhile.

Things got a bit tidier and cleaner - but the boredom didn't fade, pass, nor become sated.

My second thought was that maybe boredom was the brains way of saying "I am hungry". But that quickly fell to the wayside as I reminded myself that I have been trying to feed my brain for hours now and either it is not hungry or it is being exceptionally picky at the moment.

There is a part of me that knows the rational answer: That boredom is probably brain chemistry and that chemicals will do what chemicals want to do - leaving the owner of said brain stuck being along for the ride. But THIS is the least satisfying of all options ( even if it is the most logical ) because this one makes me feel powerless and leaves me rather pissed off at the whole situation.

That's right pissed off AND bored simultaneously. Which is doubly frustrating and possibly a good way to have a stroke or heart attack.

So I ask you denizens of ATS... What is the point of boredom? Can bacon cure it? Am I on one of those slippery slopes that might lead into habits or behaviors that others would consider dangerous or unacceptable?

So many questions that remain unanswered ( unanswerable? ) all in the name of boredom.

Here's my thought on it...

Boredom is there because, at that moment, our emotions have been sated, our needs have been sated, and we have no current wants.

This is a state of being that is unnatural, so our minds think that something must be wrong. So we seek out what is "wrong," even though nothing is, and we call it "being bored."

It's literally a state of "un-ness" and is perfectly normal.



You can train yourself so that when you are feeling that feeling, that's as close to a "zen" moment that you will get. If you let it roll, that is.

Heff, when you want to question these sorts of things, think of mother nature.

What you are supposed to do when bored, is procreate the species.

Once you have enough (in order) Water, food, shelter and security, you are supposed to move straight to procreation. You have enough Water, food, shelter and security to provide for a baby so, get busy.

Unfortunately, for what ever reason, you cannot take this path.

If you were an ancient Viking, you would likely be thinking about pillage and rape and there is procreation again. See how this works?

So Heff, sex is the answer to your problem.

P

a reply to: pheonix358

You know what? That whole Viking thing actually piqued my interest. Now where did I put my sword and horned helm???

originally posted by: Hefficide
a reply to: pheonix358

You know what? That whole Viking thing actually piqued my interest. Now where did I put my sword and horned helm???

No, no.

Spear and magic helmet.

a reply to: Hefficide

Being Bored is just not having an interest.
Something has to matter to you in that moment.
If you are jaded on the world boredom comes in more common.
If you are lonely... Find someone.

I remember my life used to be amazing and then I turned old and stopped partying.
I find myself more and more boring and bored.

I've been real bored the last 2 months. I stopped drinking and I am not in the same town as my friends anymore, nor do I have a phone.

I try to learn things, but then I get bored..

What I really wanted is to laugh. Watched a Joe Rogan podcast and the guests got drunk and then some herbal smoke. It was quite funny to watch for me and I wasn't bored anymore.

Sometimes boredom is having done everything already, sometimes it's having no way to do anything. IT cuts at both those ends.

Sex would work. For me haha.. Been awhile now which is sad.




Oh and I've been scouring ATS for a less boring topic.. Finally found one. Thanks Heff.

a reply to: Hefficide

You're bored because you're looking for a challenge. The only person worthy of that task ... is yourself.

originally posted by: Hefficide
a reply to: pheonix358

You know what? That whole Viking thing actually piqued my interest. Now where did I put my sword and horned helm???

And the modern day equivalent of Viking Raids and such like is computer games like WoW or whatever.

That is what most people do when bored.

I don't get bored, I write books instead! Sort of like the old time wise man.

Find a hobby man or get some sex happening.

Have some kids, that is one sure way to relieve boredom for 18 years.

P

a reply to: pheonix358

Kids... Mine are 24 and 16. I spend most of my time these days keeping THEM from having kids.

originally posted by: Hefficide
a reply to: pheonix358

Kids... Mine are 24 and 16. I spend most of my time these days keeping THEM from having kids.

Yeah, mine are all gone too.

Perhaps you should have some more. It will keep you from getting bored for another 18 years.

Otherwise, find a hobby or play a computer game or get friends together to play cards, backgammon or spin the bottle.

I don't know, it always comes back somehow to sex.

As I said, I write books. Now if you will excuse me, I have to get back to writing, now where am I up to, Oh, yes, the sex scene.


P

a reply to: Hefficide

I think the spirit wants to do something but you haven't a vision you feel is worth filling with spirit - no vision worth forming. Try thinking of something impressive and then go with whatever inspiration comes from that? Maybe you could invent something the coming world will need and then sell it to yourself?

...do something impressive.

Personally if i'm that bored I can waste a good hour or two rolling the perfect......... ball of dung....... and smoke my perfect ball of dung..

a reply to: Jomina

I have to disagree. I think boredom is feeling apathetic to fulfilling your needs, not that they have been sated

a reply to: Hefficide

Boredom makes you wonder, doesn't it?

Bring on the daydreaming...

a reply to: calstorm

Needs and responsibilities are all quite sated and taken care of. I think part of the issue, in my case, is that I have devolved back into a nocturnal creature and, frankly, there just is not much to do at night.

Even things like ATS slow down in the wee hours.

I could run to Wally world and waste a few bucks and some time but my local Wal Mart tends to prove the concept of that old song "The Freaks Come Out At Night" and, while not afraid, I am aware that the odds of seeing something that cannot be unseen are exponentially higher in a Wal Mart at this hour.

Boredom . Maybe the bodies way of saying you have done enough for now ,but hey brain you are still on call . Have a rest but you need to be ready to go at a seconds notice . But with no immediate reason to go fight or flight.happy or sad your brain says im going into limbo as well.One thing i know is,if you can find humour then you arent bored.Just saying

a reply to: Hefficide

I had another thought after I left and I'm still bored so I came back to share.

I've noticed I can't do one thing at a time anymore. I was just trying to watch youtube videos play an SNES game (earthbound), while reading ATS and running google searches in between.

I've noticed that multitasking can cause one thing at a time to be boring once you've trained your brain to need more. I'm going to go force myself to watch an entire episode of southpark without looking away or pausing hahhahaha..

a reply to: KnightLight

Multitasking is also something that I do incessantly. I honestly have a very hard time doing just ONE thing at once. Even when I do manage to narrow it all down to one thing, my mind is thinking on so many levels that I might as well be doing multiple other things.

Right now I am watching Supernatural, typing this message, and playing a Star Wars game on my phone. And still am bored.

originally posted by: hutch622
One thing i know is,if you can find humour then you arent bored.Just saying

The only time I cannot find humor is when I am in a total rage - and even then being in a total rage is funny at least to me.

a reply to: Hefficide

I too suffer from boredom quite often. I think that it may even be a mild form of depression. I become pretty lethargic when boredom sets in. And it takes a bit of awhile to get spun up again. I'm so bored lately that I'm thinking of painting the place again, just to keep busy.

I love writing and can't even write when I'm bored. I just sit at the confuser and stare at it without really seeing anything.