Does boredom enrich your life? No, really, we’re serious. Think about it. Philosophy professor Andreas Elpidorou has thought about it a great deal, and he concludes that boredom is necessary and valuable. Read his ideas in this July 2015 essay in Aeon.
Read it here: Elpidorou, "The quiet alarm"
- In regard to boredom, Elpidorou states that “We should give thanks for it—and avoid it like the plague.” What does he mean? Explain Elpidorou’s assertion. Do you agree? Why or why not?
- Elpidorou draws an extended comparison between physical pain and boredom. How effective is the comparison? How appropriate is it? Why do you think so? Would the essay have been clearer without the comparison? Why or why not?
- Elpidorou positions his argument in contrast with “Western literary and philosophical canons,” and he mentions the work of several philosophers and scientists. Which of the moves in Chapter 5 of your text can you identify in Elpidorou’s responses to the They Say?
- Elpidorou praises the emotional benefits of boredom, such as making us more aware of our situation and prompting us into “alternative courses of action.” He even asserts that if an app could be developed to produce the benefits of boredom, people would pay for it. Would you? Why or why not?
- Elpidorou concludes by proposing that boredom should be paid attention to rather than ignored. He asserts that grabbing your phone to distract yourself is the wrong strategy. Take on this challenge for a day or two. When you find yourself bored—waiting for the bus, perhaps, or in a class—just stop and listen to your thoughts and feelings, letting your attention follow where they take you. Then write an account of your experience that either supports or refutes (or both) Elpidorou’s argument. Use the templates in your text to clearly distinguish your ideas from his.
They Say I Blog 
I think we need to understand the importance of boredom in our life today. We rarely ever get bored because there is so much going on in our lives. Television, internet, phone and other electronics are taking over. Even when we sit alone for a minute, we immediately reach for our phones to keep ourselves entertained. We are missing those moments where we can sit and think about things in our life. If there was an app that produced the benefit of boredom, I would definitely pay for it. Boredom is important and we are gradually loosing it.
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The professor Andreas Elpidorou said “We should give thanks for it—and avoid it like the plague.”, which was regarding boredom; meaning no one wants to be bored but when it occurs we look for something to do, in others giving us motivation to occupy ourselves. I agree with Professor Elipidoru statement, because being bored does motivate us into something like sleep, exercising, or just going out can all result from being tired of being bored.
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I think he means we need to find something to do at all times. If we don’t then theres something wrong with us. just like the plague if we didn’t go near the person then we would be fine, if we find else something to do then going to the sick person. i agree with him because there are times where boredom is good, and there are times where its not.For some people they need to see someone because they are trying to do something to them when there bored.
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My opinion is we should get a better understand of boredom. It some much stuff we can do to stay from being bored. If people stay more active boredom would be very rare. Even sitting on your phone is entertaining. There’s so much technology today to keep us all distracted.
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In regard to boredom, professor Andreas Elpidorou felt as if boredom is important. It’s important in the sense of motivation to do something better. Boredom is basically only pleasant when it’s beneficial to being productive. When boredom takes place, you have the more authentic, creative mindset. I completely agree with what Elpidorou is saying. The reason why I agree is because when I’m bored I tend to reflect on things I could be doing with my life in that moment.
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In this passage Andreas Elpidorou said” we should give thanks for boredom but also avoid it like the plague.” I think he means that we should be happy to feel bored because that means we realize that we are not stimulating our minds to there full potential. It’s a signal that means we should do something that we are more interested in. Without boredom we would be doing mindless tasks all day because we wouldn’t feel the need to change it up and do something productive. Over all I agree with him although I hate being bored. I’m glad I can feel it so I can change what I’m doing.
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Andreas Elpidorou wrote a blog titled, The Quiet alarm, in it he discusses the uses of boredom one does not recognize. Andreas uses the comparison of pain to boredom, one may not experience it on a regular basis, but will at some point in time. He goes on to explain that just because someone may experience pain, it does not make someone any more prone, and it does not have to happen regularly to know how to avoid it. In the instance of boredom, just because it is experienced does not mean it will be a common re-occurrence. Andreas emphasizes on the ways boredom could otherwise help one reflect on themselves, how to change the situation and find a fulfillment. He explains that boredom, like pain, is necessary to some degree. Finding out what we can do for ourselves to prevent boredom and lessen its reappearances in our lives.
“We should give thanks for it- and avoid it like the plague,” are the exact words he uses to talk about boredom. In saying this he means many people have become subject to boredom, and those who did not were able to learn from it’s severity, becoming more aware to prevent it. Like Andreas’ original comparison of boredom to pain, it only takes a small exposure of pain to know that it is not desired. And it only takes a small amount of pain to completely change someone’s actions and awareness to prevent any more exposure. Boredom, for lack of being seen as harmful, is not taken as as serious need for someone to change anything about their routines to avoid it. One is not more prone to boredom than anyone else, but with more exposure one is more likely to find something to replace the boredom. Someone who does not have the luxury of enough free time to get “bored” would not see it that way. Two possibilities could happen: either restlessness to find something paced adequately to their lifestyle, or an embracement, to catch up with themselves from daily negligence.
I agree with this idea to an extent. I agree with Andreas’ idea that boredom is necessary. Boredom sparks creativity in some, or as explained in the blog “ a drive”. For some it is time they are granted to just take a step back from everyday activities and “boredom” , to them, is a break. However, this does not mean that everyone will draw such inspiration from boredom. And its far fetched to make the comparison with pain. Boredom is as inspiration to some as harmless to others. It is not something people outwardly seek to avoid, but certainly something most people are okay with finding an alternative to.
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In the essay, Elpidorou states “We should give thanks for it—and avoid it like the plague.” It is important because that the boredom is functions as an alarm that tells people what they enjoy to do and what is not. In the essay, he believes it will motivate us to seek for pleasure. Therefore, it will help us to change our behavior in order to escape from the boredom. It is our natural instinct to protect our-self from getting hurt by boredom. I agree with his opinion because if we are excited with anything in life, we will have no further demand for our life. In normal people’s life, we always believe in something that can stimulate us. The desire of being exciting motivates us to chase our goal. However, if we get rid of the feeling of boring, we will have no clue that what goals are worthwhile to chase for and what is harmful to us in life. I believe that the worst thing in our life is the absence of consciousness. In the article, the author uses a metaphor that if the sensation of pain is an indication of harm, then the sensation of boredom is an indication that we are engaged in something that is incongruous with our projects. If we do not have feeling, such as no pain, no happiness, no sad, no angry, life is like the walking dead. As a human, since we can feel pain and boredom, our life suddenly become plentiful. Knowing pain and boredom, we are able to what is good and what is bad. As a human being, it should be our gift that we can use our eyes to see, use our ears to hear, use our mouth to taste, use our nose to smell, and use our heart to feel. If you talk to a boy who never had a girlfriend about love, he would not be able to understand what you are saying. A feeling cannot be described using language, this is how we as human different from robots. I still remember in the movie Terminator, the terminator ask the boy why do you cry. The boy answers, because I am a human, and I have emotions.
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Common sense seems to dictate that pain is not a welcome feeling, but the author Andreas Elpidorou, claims that it is an aspect of life that is crucial to our survival. Along with pain being crucial, as is boredom. Pain implements us to move from a situation that is uncomfortable or dangerous, and boredom implements us to move from a stage in life that is uncomfortable or unproductive. Both of these are not awesome parts of life to experience, but propel us forward to grow as individuals. Elpidorou stated, “Sufferers of congenital insensitivity live hard, hazardous, and often tragically short lives.”. This quote adds to his point that in order to live fore filled lives, we need these aspect to survive and thrive.
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In discussions of boredom, one controversial issue has been that boredom is a good thing. On the one hand they argue that “Friedrich Nietzsche commented on the creative power of boredom and found value in its relationship to art. So did Susan Sontag, who in a brief diary entry suggested that the most interesting art of her time was boring: ‘Jasper Johns is boring. Beckett is boring, Robbe-Grillet is boring. Maybe art has to be boring, now.” On the other hand, the author Andreas Elpidorou contends that “We should give thanks for it—and avoid it like the plague.” My personal views tend to agree with the author. I am a person who very much banks on getting that feeling of boredom to change what I am doing. I also agree that if possible to avoid boredom at all costs.
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Like any good author, Andreas Elpidorou uses an example to enhance and compare his main argument too. He use of the sensation of pain that entertainer, Edward H Gibson, lacks and puts it side by side with the sensation of boredom. Although, boredom is a undesirable feeling, Elpidorou argues that it is indeed a valued quality in life because of its effect of improving one’s life. He advocates that boredom is useful and personally, I agree with his claim.
Scrolling through Facebook or Instagram, quotes on “Living life to the fullest.” or “Life’s too short.” are almost unavoidable. When the situation comes around and you catch yourself becoming bored, the guilt sets in about not being productive. Elpidorou himself writes, “Think of boredom as an internal alarm. When it goes off, it is telling us something. It signals the presence of an unfulfilling situation.” The sensation of boredom is in a way, underappreciated. We don’t consciously notice the alarm going off, but it pushes us to want to change our actions to become fulfilling. Just as the feeling of pain against our skin changes our actions to be more safe, the feeling of boredom changes us to improve as an individual.
Elpidorou’s statement of “We should give thanks for it- and avoid it like the plague” can be interpreted as boredom being a good thing, but in order for it to have it’s full effect, we should avoid being bored as much as possible. As he compares boredom to an alarm, it lets us know when were not being productive. When we are experiencing boredom, its a sign that we aren’t fulfilling our life. Without that sign, we wouldn’t have that clue to inform us that life is falling short of optimal. Now looking at the second half of the quote involving boredom being avoided like the plague, avoiding boredom is another sign towards one’s quality of life. If one isn’t experiencing boredom, or at least trying their hardest to not experience it, then they will know they are guiding their actions to having a more beneficial soul. Overall, boredom being present or not is a gauge of how dynamic our lives are in the present moment.
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I don’t particularly agree with this comparison. From personal experience with severe and chronic pain, boredom is very different from pain. Boredom is a single moment that can be turned around by occupying one’s self. Pain is entirely different, for me at least. My pain affects me every single day and never leaves me alone, no matter how much medicine I take. This essay could be much clearer if it had compared boredom to something else. Usually hunger goes hand in hand with boredom. People eat just to take their minds off of boredom. Hunger could have been a better comparison. With pain, people become emotional over what might be happening with their bodies. People become alerted, anxious, nervous, and so on. Boredom just makes me stare off into the sky and think about my day. With pain, it’s either I need to go to the hospital for various reasons, I need new medicine, I might need physical therapy again, and so on. Pain and boredom are two separate worlds for me, so I cannot agree with this comparison.
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Rather than simply agreeing or disagreeing with Elpidorou’s statement that boredom, like pain is ‘an internal alarm’ which drives us to take some form of action; it would be more valuable to look at how individuals perceive and react to those alarms. Josh Goldbeck states that he agrees with Elpidorou because boredom motivates him to positive action and he welcomes the sensation. Cynthia Ybarra however disagrees that pain and boredom are similar. She sees her pain as a great motivator but boredom is simply to be experienced and tolerated. To me it would depend on an individual’s experiences of both these sensations as to whether the assertion is true. A person who does not feel pain has no internal alarm and therefore cannot connect it to the sensation of boredom. Likewise an individual whose life holds no meaningful stimuli or motivation (otherwise they are in a constant state of boredom) cannot recognise that as a trigger to indulge in more meaningful behaviours. The comparison is not a constant but rather a variant depending on the experience of the individual.
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In the beginning of ‘the quiet alarm’ professor Elpidorou talks about how boredom has been valued. Then he goes on and compares pain with boredom. His argument is that as much as pain is good(particularly by warning us when something is wrong), so is boredom(by motivating us to find something more interesting to do). In the paragraph ,Elpidorou states tha even though boredom is precious,feeling bored is something that we dont want to experience.
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Elpidorou states, “We should give thanks for it-and avoid it like the plague.” in reference to boredom. It is interesting to think about. If we didn’t feel the awkward grasp that boredom put on our lives, we wouldn’t have a drive to accomplish anything. There was an old saying I heard once, that said “Idle hands are the devil’s playground.” I always took it as a reason to stay busy, lest you become bored and got into something you shouldn’t have. But maybe we need the boredom, to keep pushing us to do great things, and accomplish more in our lives. I believe that is what the author was trying to say. Thank the boredom for being in our lives to show us that we need to keep busy, and use it to our advantage.
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“We should give thanks for boredom and avoid it like the plague”. I feel like he is saying be happy that we know what boredom is and avoid it at all cost. Meaning we should continually be trying to stimulate our blains to want to learn more. Being bored does not always mean you are sitting with nothing to do. It may me you are doing something, but you just are not interested in what you are doing. I think the comparison between pain and boredom was clear, appropriate, and concise. It gave me the reader a better understanding of what he was trying to explain. No one I know likes pain and I can’t think of anyone who enjoys being bored either. I think Elpidorou is using the templates for signaling who is saying what in your own writing. If an APP were made about boredom I can assure you that I would not buy it especially if it was in a “game like” app because I am personally not a gamer. I guess you could say that “gaming” is boring to me. I personally do not think I need to take the time to do the exercise because I already do this as often as I can. I don’t mind sitting in a waiting area and when I do I make it a point to put my phone away or just leave it in the car. My brain is always running a million miles a minute. Thinking about what I need to do, what I am doing, or what I have done.
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In the article written by Andreas Elpidorou, he states, “We should give thanks for it – and avoid it like the plague.” While reading through this article, I honestly was not sure where Elpidorou was going with it. I initially thought he was saying boredom is good, it helps our body heal from too much stimulation and busyness. However, after reading more and more, I discovered this was not his message. I feel that what Elpidorou was saying was boredom can turn to depression. When boredom strikes, what do you do? You pick up your smart phone, ipad, or the TV remote and nestle away for hours at a time, sometimes with no other contact with the outside world. Is this really putting a stop to your boredom, or is this just postponing it until there isn’t anything good to watch or no one is posting anything on facebook. I feel like he is saying, when boredom hits, you need to get up and do something else, do something active, learn something new, etc. If you allow yourself to slip into the black hole of boredom, ever inch and inch you fall, it will be that much harder to pull yourself out of it.
I do agree with Elipidorou statement. If you think about it, what happens to people when summer comes to an end and winter becomes us. Seasonal depression hits us, people become bored, and they allow that boredom to overcome them.
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Andreas Elpidorou wrote a strong statement about boredom, “we should give thanks for it and avoid it like the plague.” Is Elpiourou suggesting we should or shouldn’t be bored? What is he claiming about the statement, should we avoid it? I do not deny that boredom could potentially be a hazard, but this statement only depends on the boredom situation at hand. Boredom also depends on the person, is the person someone who gets into trouble easily, does this person commit crimes, or does this person deserve a little time to be within their own thoughts? I acknowledge the fact that most should, according to Elpidorou, avoid boredom like the plague. When someone is bored, they may find something that would occupy them that is less than desirable behavior. Contradicting this statement is also acceptable, for some people they need may need some time to be alone, to do nothing but just to be. Today, we live in a world that never stops. I long for a moment where I can just sit and relax and not think of anything, not do anything, just be bored. So, I give thanks to boredom that decides to intervene with my daily chaos; I welcome boredom.
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Elpidorou is saying the boredom is a good thing. Without boredom, we would waste our time doing things we have no desire to do. In the essay the author says that boredom is what alerts us to an unrewarding situation. Without sensing bored, what is to stop a person from staring at a wall for eight hours every day? Our minds need a reprieve from the clutches of mundane situations, and we should be thankful our minds can determine what boredom occurs.
I think it is a great comparison. If I touch a hot soldering iron, I make sure never to do that again. Likewise watching the Twilight movies put me to sleep, I will not be doing that again. Both pain and boredom are unpleasant experiences. The unpleasantness reminds us to not do things again. Therefore I think it is a fair comparison.
“x’s assertion that ____ does not fit the facts” Elpidorou is saying that although boredom is looked upon negatively, this is certainly not the case and we should not think this way.
I would not pay for this app. I like to be bored all the time. That way when I do something small, such as going to the store, it feels very exciting and rewarding. I understand where the author is coming from though. If a person could feel bored anytime they wanted, that person would be motivated to accomplish a new task very quickly.
There is a problem with Elpidorou saying we should pay attention to boredom. If I am in class and bored, just thinking and letting my mind flow will not do me any good. If I were to think about sitting on the bench in the sun, I would put my self at a disadvantage of not taking notes. When I pull out my phone, I read things that interest me. I do not do it to ignore my thoughts, I do it so I can learn about new and exciting things.
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According to Elpidorou boredom can be positive and an advantage, boredom can motivate a person into being successful and creative, which I agree. The writer compares pain and boredom, explaining that a person in pain can change their behavior to make positive changes about self or their health and the same with boredom, there are ways a person can became motivated to get rid of the boredom by doing something that advantages them. Elpidorou advises the readers that next time they feel bored, not to cure it with their phones or other electronics but motivate themselves to turn their boredom into something constructive.
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1.”We should give thanks for it-and avoid it like the plague.” This means that we should take time to appreciate the moments of silence. Enjoy the present surroundings while enjoying a time that one is responsible for nothing in particular. On the other hand, boredom is a reminder that there is a void in our life that is meant to be filled. Though I concede that boredom is a moment of stillness that we should be thankful for, I still insist that boredom is a state of mind that in todays world should be savored and appreciated.
2. I disagree with Elpidorou belief that boredom can be compared to physical pain because pain is the bodies way of signalling distress to protect it from injury. Boredom is an individules view to a certain situation that one concieves as useless. I think the essay would be clearer if the comparison was not made using the definition of pain is the sense of an uncomfortable sensation. Rather, using pain as an example of an emotional reaction to a situation that is presented would be more realistic.
3. I think the embedded reference noted page 2 allows Elpidorou to refer to the philosophers and scientists perspectives while instilling his train of thought when he states the positive notations that the authors are correct to value boredom. He then goes on to say, wihtout any major interuption that there is nothing particular good about being board.
4. I would not pay for an app to produce the benefits of boredom. I rarely pay for any apps. I enjoy the days that are filled with boredom all on my own. I enjoy sleeping or just being lazy. Maybe because those days are few, i am able enjoy the act of doing absolutely nothing.
5. I experienced sitting a waiting room alone. I was not distracted by a phone. I enjoyed looking around at the office and the staff busily going about there day, taking to note to my presence. I thought about my day what task were ahead of me. I thought about the medical procedure that was about to take place. I agree with Elpidorou’s conclusion tht boredom is necessary and valuable.
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I believe that Elpidorou is basically saying that we should have a love hate relationship with boredom. We should hate boredom so much that it pushes us to do things that do not bore us and in the end being our motivation to having a better and more fulfilling life. I would have to agree with that statement. I never like being bored so I make plans to go places and see people. It has made me more active and adventurous. It pushes me to be creative. The desire to not be bored makes me a better person. In order to find all this out though, you have to be bored at times, thus the love/hate.
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If boredom were an app, I would not pay for it. I am the type of person who does not like to be bored. I like to relax but I would much rather have something to do. I felt that the professor’s comparison of boredom and pain was appropriate. it was a comparison that I have never thought of but it made sense to me. Boredom does give us time to think because we are not preoccupied with other things going on in our lives.
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I agree with Elpidorou because sometimes you have to be bored in order to find something to do . It gets you to thinking about things. The comparison between pain and boredom makes sense to me but could have used a better comparison. I would not pay for an app for boredom. I bought an xbox and sometimes it gets old and the games are the same and I just get bored with them.
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I think that Elpidorou is trying to explain the value of boredom and why it’s important not to ignore the value of boredom. “Boredom is precious, but there’s nothing particularly good about being bored.” To me I get the feeling of optimism and the fact that there are a lot more situations a person can be in rather than being bored, like at war for starters. I believe the message is to give thanks but also avoid the complacency that can come along with being bored. There is some correlation between the mental and physical pains both attributed by boredom and being a human pin cushion so I am somewhere in between agreeing and disagreeing. Although every Sunday while in church I always find myself thinking “if I have to sit here for one more minute, I am going to jump off a bridge.”
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Elppidou in his article “Quiet Alarm” speaks about boredom. He suggests that boredom is necessary. Boredom alarms us we are not being fulfilled. Even when we are performing activities we can be bored because they are not stimulating us. I agree with Elpidorou’s assertion on boredom that “we should give thanks for it and avoid it like the plague”. In this statement he is saying boredom should be appreciated. If we did not have boredom, we would not know we are lacking fulfillment. We should also avoid boredom. We need to make sure our lives are filled with meaningful, stimulating, challenging, and desirable experiences. Boredom should be looked at as an opportunity to learn, experience, and find other ways to bring fulfillment to our lives. Boredom should be an encouragement to change and challenge ourselves. This article really enlightened me to think about when I feel “bored”. Especially how he ended the article saying your phone should not be picked up when you feel bored. Most of the time I am still bored looking at my phone. I love to craft and need to use the times when I feel “bored” to cultivate my creative side.
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Amanda C
By opening up by describing the benefit of pain, Andreas Elpiorou is able to create an interesting connection to the benefit of boredom. Pain allows us to interpret danger and helps us from causing further physical injury. Boredom does something similar by preventing mental injury. Boredom triggers our brain to start doing something new. This helps stimulate creativity and ingenuity. When people are continuously bored, they often will try new things or something to break they monotony. People take this is different forms. Some may start working out or reading a book or cooking. These new things help prevent mental depreciation and allow us to continue to grow. When this extends beyond the individual it allows us to flourish as a human race.
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-I believe this is an accurate statement. It basically says that boredom is a harbinger for the activities we should pursue and take part in. Based on our interest level, we can determine what is worthwhile in many cases. I believe this is a helpful way of going about life on a daily basis. Of course certain useful things are bound to be boring, but that does not mean that absolutely everything has to be. This suggestion permits and explains the fascinating exploration of life.
-It is a very helpful comparison. It allows readers to better comprehend the concept that Elpidorou is presenting. It was definitely applicable because of this. Without it, the essay would have been much harder to understand. This is a comparison that just about any reader can relate to. For that reason, it was extremely useful in the process of effectively conveying the main point.
-Elpidorou makes sure to briefly explain the other schools of thought and why they differ from his own. He states that while boredom is frequently seen as just that-boring-it cam be used to our advantage. This is a good example of explaining and differentiating arguments. Rather than endorsing an argument or viewpoint, he speaks against it.
-Honestly, I do not think I would. Personally, I just cannot justify buying something that I know will bore me. Now that I have been told about the potential effects of boredom, I would rather try to find other ways to benefit from it. Simply put, buying an app just does not strike me as being entirely practical.
-I found it to be a difficult but extremely stimulating experience. I found myself thinking much more, which I consider to be a good thing. My phone typically acts as a temporary source of entertainment, but it is not very fulfilling. Being immersed in personal reflection was undoubtedly a much more enriching activity.
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In regard to boredom, Elpidorou states that “We should give thanks for it—and avoid it like the plague.” What I believe he is saying is that we need boredom, but we also hate to experience it in the time that it is happening. But like others have mentioned there are a lot worse things than being bored. There could be horrible things happening, I would much rather be bored than have catastrophes going on around me. Boredom gives us time to relax and reflect on life, if we were constantly on the go we wouldn’t have time for these thought to occur.
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In regard to boredom, Elpidorou states that “We should give thanks for it—and avoid it like the plague.” What does he mean? Explain Elpidorou’s assertion. Do you agree? Why or why not?
In this article the author compares boredom and pain, stating pain is beneficial because one can learn from the unpleasant experience and take measure to avoid it. Boredom can work the same way, it can prompt a individual to take measure to avoid boredom, thus being more productive. The author is stating to give thanks for boredom, because without knowing what boredom was a person would not take additional measures to avoid it. I do agree with the author, if a person has never experienced boredom then they would not appreciate times of good company, entertainment, and productive work nor would a person take good measure to engage in anything else.
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I agree with Elpidorou that boredom is important. It is important to have boredom so that you can really enjoy things that you do. Also, boredom can lead to changing your life. When you are bored, you have time to think about the different things going on in your life and gives you time to figure out what needs to change. This introspective time can become very valuable for someone. This relates to the connection between pain and boredom. The connection is that people are able to make changes to cure boredom/ alleviate pain. In terms of an app, I think I would pay for it. I think I would like the benefits of more boredom. I have experienced boredom before and I enjoy it. I enjoy a little down time where I am not doing anything. Too much boredom can be a pain too, but I do like some boredom.
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I feel that Elpidorou is attempting to explain that boredom, although sometimes frustrating, is very valuable. We should avoid it because when we are bored, pain is not far behind. I feel that this is because, as humans, we tend to over think and over react to simple, little things when we are left to our own thoughts. I agree and disagree with the author that we should see the value in boredom but also avoid it. This is due to the fact that sometimes we need a break from the craziness that is life. Boredom does sometimes lead to pain, whether emotional, mental or physical, but it can also lead to a fresh perspective. It is a double edged sword in this thing called life.
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The statement, “We should give thanks for it-and avoid it like the plague”, by Elpiodorou means that we are able to move forward in life, set goals, or change the usual routine because boredom is directing us to. So, it’s a blessing when it shows up, signaling us to do something else, and you should avoid it when it does arrive by doing something else. I never really thought of boredom this way, in fact I never really analyzed boredom at all, but reading this blog post has made me think. I have to agree with the author, it makes complete sense that boredom’s purpose is to motivate us to find something else that can keep our interest. One would think they never want to be bored again, but that wouldn’t necessarily mean they are always doing something exciting, it would most likely mean they are content sitting on the couch staring at the TV, or even the wall for hour upon hours! I say give me boredom, motivate me to get off my butt, and set some goals.
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In “The Quiet Alarm,” Elpidorou speaks of avoiding boredom while simultaneously being thankful for it. Life is too short to be consumed by the boredom that comes from the mundane, compulsory, or trivial. If that is the case, boredom is the low fuel light that comes on in our brain that tells us it is time to fill up our intellectual activity tank. I agree with Elpdorou and urge those who are bored to heed that warning and seize the day.
In comparing pain and boredom, Elpidorou aptly links two responses to two different stimuli. While one is a neurological response to a physical stimulus, and the other is a psychological response to a mental (or lack thereof) stimulus, the concept of the body’s reaction as a warning is strong association. The author could have used a different example, perhaps the low fuel indicator light as I used above. However, by using another function within the body, Elpidorou keeps the reader thinking about the mystery of the human brain.
Elpidorou uses a strong voice marker of “and yet” to preface the reference to, and subsequent thoughts of, the “Western literary and philosophical canons.”
The challenge of letting my phone distract me from my boredom is one easily accepted, as I am one of seven people on Earth without a smart phone. While I agree with Elpidorou’s notion that boredom is a reaction, I believe the underlying cause of today’s boredom is a larger social problem. That is, I believe entertainment for the masses has dulled their own sense of creativity and artistic ability.
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Elpidorou compares boredom to pain in the sense that is should ‘alert’ us to change the situation causing said feeling. He says that this feeling is a natural reaction to unstimulating situations and should be appreciated as an opportunity to redirect our efforts in a more productive manner. I can relate to this reasoning as I find myself bored at times I know I could be more productive. After reading this article I hope to realize my phone and television should not be my go-to solution to boredom. I complain about my workload but now realize I could have much less stress if I simply transformed my boredom into energy and motivation to complete tasks. His comparison between pain and boredom really helped me to realize an aspect of bored I have always overlooked. Boredom only occurs for me when I choose not to do things I know need to be done in preference of less demanding activities. It reminded me of lessons my family members tried to teach me: If it hurts when you do that don’t do it, and if you’re bored pick up a broom the floor needs sweeping.
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I agree with Elpidorou, I know for me I get bored very easily and I have to find something to do. Like clean the house or make the supper for a week and refrigerate it. I do have to agree that between pain and boredom he could of made a better comparison of the two. When I am bored I know I have to would either search the net or play a game on my phone and I probably would pay for an app if I was not bored or really interested in the game itself. Another example is that I know me and my husband sometimes like to play our video game systems and we are to the point of playing it so much that we get bored with it and we don’t play it for a long time.
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What Elpidorou meant by “we should give thanks for it – and avoid it like the plague,” is that it is necessary for humanity, but not a positive thing when present in our lives. He compares boredom to pain, which serves a purpose in regards to self preservation. He asserts that boredom, like pain, makes us aware of a less than desired current situation. Boredom lets us know that we are unhappy with the current situation we find ourselves in the same way pain lets us know that we are under harm. I agree with Elpidorou; however, I do not think that boredom is as easy to overcome as he makes it seem. There are those that find themselves bored in their current profession, but with the job market in its current state, finding a new place of employment may prove difficult. People also accumulate debt buying material things and paying for education they may feel trapped in the monotony of their lives doomed to be bored.
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Cynthia Ybarra is right that pain and boredom are two different things, but she seems on more dubious ground when she claims that hunger is a better comparison to boredom than pain. Ybarra misses the essence of Elpidorou’s argument, which is that like pain, boredom serves as a sensation to instill change in our lives. While hunger tells us to get up and get some food, that feeling does not accurately depict what boredom pushes us to do. Boredom serves as a signal to our minds that we should go out and change our situation and make it fit our desires. We can use boredom to help us find who we are by searching for activities that eliminate boredom from occurring. Ybarra’s interpretation of pain focuses on only the effects of pain occurring and not the deeper message that our body is telling us. Pain tells us that something is very wrong and it is harming our bodies. From physical pain to emotional pain, it is a message to us that we need to change our situation. Though I concede that pain and boredom are two different types of feelings, I still insist that they serve as a better comparison than boredom and hunger when coinciding with the Elpidorou’s argument.
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I agree with Elpidorou that we need boredom. It may seem as a catch 22, but, without boredom we would not be motivated to fill the void. I agree with his whole concept and I am grateful to have the opportunity to read this article. It make me think about the times I was bored and what came out of it. It seems that boredom motivated me and I am sure others to be creative. We find stuff or things to fill our time to avoid being bored. Boredom is absolutely a valuable necessity.
His first paragraph in regards to the person with no feeling of physical pain and the emphasis about his affliction is, to me, without cause. He manages to take the “pain” direction into the next paragraph where he turns the conversation towards boredom, but, I don’t believe the first paragraph is necessary in the whole of the subject of boredom. He is comparing boredom with pain.
I do not agree with his comparison between boredom and physical pain. Boredom has, to my knowledge, never caused physical pain on a soul. I understand his point but I disagree with it. Boredom can be compared more skillfully to an emotional void or a mental void rather than to a physical pain. This is where he lost my interest. If you say what you say because it is your opinion not a medical or scientific fact then really what are you saying?
Elpidorou is emphasizing, in my opinion, his own pain of boredom. I disagree with his outcome of the essay and I disagree with his opinion that boredom is ignored. Hardly, I say. With cell phones in everyone’s hands and with the flow or I should say barrage of information anyone will hardly be bored. Unless you want to be bored, then shut everything off and I do believe that is called “down time” now a days.
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In The Quiet Alarm by Andreas Elpidoou his comparison of pain and boredom was quite poetic in that with either one, once you are in it you try to avoid doing the same thing again.I agree with what he is trying to tell his audience about that there is a value to being bored. Elpidoou talks about how boredom gives you incentive to change whatever you are currently doing into something that will hold your attention. In this aspect boredom can be good since it can help you discover new ways to keep your brain functioning without going stagnant. So many people turn to their cell phones when they are bored for the instant gratification. What people should really be doing is find new and more creative ways to use that time.
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Wow! I must admit, I never looked at boredom as an alarm clock telling myself that I need to change something in my life. I think the analogy used makes me have a different perspective on boredom and how it’s supposed to be used as being beneficial to one’s self. Just like our body will alert us to pain so we can take action against it, our body does the same with boredom. I feel that although boredom does come as an undesirable pain, it has it’s benefits of forcing us to do something to relieve that pain. As stated in the article, boredom is a great motivator to pursue a different course of action. It’s my belief that people should take the time out of their lives to actually become bored to make them more self aware and think of better things to do with their lives. Also, as a parent I feel that all parents should create situations in which to create boredom for their children to help get them engaged into their critical thinking abilities. With all the technology and gadgets of today, we replace our boredom with our phones or computers screens, which I feel is detrimental to our overall well being. It is actually healthy for boredom to come into our lives because it gives us that push to do something we may not have wanted or even thought about doing otherwise.
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Elpidorou is saying that we should value boredom more then we do. Boredom is beneficial to us because it allows to be able to think. The comparison to boredom and pain I think is a very good comparison. Whenever I am bored I believe it to pretty painful mentally and I do something to change it just like whenever I am in pain I do something to stop it. It makes you be creative.
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I agree with this article, as I have personal experience with it. I notice that when I am on my phone constantly, I find myself not wanting to do anything else, even if it may be more fulfilling than scrolling through all my different social media accounts. It also takes up the place of contemplation and thinking, and can sometimes cause a lack of creativity, as no one is allowing the time to come up with new ideas. Technology is playing a significant role in the lack of boredom, and in turn, the lack of a desire for more. Initiative decreases, and people become less fulfilled with how they are spending their time. If more people experience boredom again, better things would come of it, including more inventions, ideas, and activities that cultivate minds and lives.
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Elpidorou states that “We should give thanks for it—and avoid it like the plague” when discussing boredom. His assertion is that boredom motivates people to do something different, but no one wants to be bored. I agree with Elpidorou’s statement that boredom is necessary because without it, no one would have a desire to do something different with their lives. Society would be stuck in a continuous cycle with no growth. Without boredom, there would be almost no desire to make a change. Boredom motivates people to shift their attention to something else, which in the end can lead to more knowledge and skill, along with experiences. Boredom leads to the development of passions, and interests. If no one experienced boredom, there would be no one in society with an opinion in a specific situation. Just because people do not enjoy being bored, does not mean it isn’t necessary. If people enjoyed being bored, then boredom would simply be nonexistent. In the end, because people detest being bored, it leads to a push for excitement, and a sense of knowledge.
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Is boredom really as bad of a thing as we make it out to be? We hear little kids all the time whining to their parents about how they have nothing fun to do or how bored they are just sitting on the couch watching TV. Our claim here is that people don’t realize the thought process that boredom brings to a person. Having free time to do nothing makes a person think in depth about topics you wouldn’t usually have time to ponder. It allows your brain to wander and opens up a window for creativity. Andreas Elpidorou claims that “boredom is precious, but there is nothing particularly good about being bored” (1). There is some true and false to this. Although he says boredom seems bad while you are feeling this way, we say boredom gives you time to reflect upon your life.
Next Elpidorou emphasizes “Pain is not the only unpleasant experience that humans are subject to. What about boredom?” (1) People often experience pain as if they are experiencing boredom as well. These 2 things go hand in hand when it comes to the way it makes you feel. When you feel pain, it’s telling you that something’s wrong, to stop what you’re doing to make yourself feel better. Boredom tells you the same type thing, it relays a message to your brain that you wouldn’t feel if you were too busy to acknowledge it. Elpidorou agrees with this thought stating that, “Think of boredom as an internal alarm. When it goes off, it is telling us something. It signals the presence of an unfulfilling situation” (2). We agree with most of Elpidorou’s claims, although there are some aspects that we would say boredom is beneficial to our everyday lives.
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In Elpidorou’s article, he elaborates on the importance of boredom and how it could be used to motivate one to pursue stimulation and a more interesting situation. He uses pain as a platform for comparison. When considering pain, an individual that experiences pain will learn from it and understand what they must do in order to protect themselves from not experiencing the same pain. Likewise with boredom, an individual that is experiencing boredom will take measures to stimulate their senses and seek a more exciting experience. Boredom is an internal alarm clock notifying us that we need to engage in a more exciting activity which Elpidorou suggests is a very important emotional experience.
Although I agree with Elpidorou up to a point, I cannot accept his overriding assumption that boredom is as necessary as pain. Andreas Elpidorou makes a great point in stating that boredom triggers an internal alarm in seeking stimulation and excitement, however, I do not agree that boredom is as necessary as pain. When considering pain, it is essential to survival. One must be aware of their limits regarding pain to keep them out of harms’ way and essentially keep them alive. Boredom on the other hand, certainly serves a great purpose in allowing our emotional state to maintain a steady balance, but does not hold a candle to the necessity of pain. An individual could go through life without experiencing boredom and be just fine.
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6) Kristin Haddad I agree that we are missing those moments where we can sit and think about things in our lives because my experience as an individual that is always on their phone or finding a way to entertain myself in order to surpass boredom confirms it. Having some time during the day to just sit back in silence and self-reflect on the day is very important in maintaining a balanced, healthy psyche. Nowadays, these self-reflection times are taken for granted, especially with all of these advancements in technology. People just do not find time to sit back in silence and think and it is unfortunate because it is very helpful in relieving stress as well.
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I agree with Kristin Haddad’s argument that we need to understand the significance of boredom in one’s day to day life. Haddad argues that due to the accessibility of our cellphones and social media we rarely find the time to enjoy boredom and have the opportunity to think about things in our lives. While I agree completely agree that social media has become such a huge distraction in people’s lives I also believe that this can change if we put the effort in. I recently deleted Facebook and Snapchat from my cellphone because I found that it was taking up too much of my time. It took a little bit to get used to but now that I am used to it I find myself thinking to myself before going to bed instead of playing with my phone until I fall asleep. I also find that because I have the extra time I would rather be doing something useful like reading or writing in my journal because the apps on my phone are no longer an option to flood my time. These are issues growing up in this generation that our parent’s generation would struggle to understand but the truth of the matter is, it is complicated to have alone time with oneself but it is not impossible.
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thanks for sharing this article. very educative in stress management
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I agree with Corby in his statement that we should all be happy that we are familiar with the emotion of boredom. In essence, Andreas Elpidorou offers a very valid comparison between the feeling of pain and boredom. He says that without the feeling of pain, humans would be able to determine if their body is being damaged or not. Similar to boredom, the brain knows that it is bored when the brain wants a certain level of stimulation is needed is not the same level as its availability, meaning that the desires of the human brain is not satisfied, which leads to lack of interest. In response to pain, the brain tells the body to adjust to the situation in more defensive maneuvers. Now to reinforce the idea of the importance of boredom, humans generally know to do something else when the current course of action does not interest them. Corby also believes that Elpidorou’s examples and comparisons to the other human emotion of pain were concise and appropriate. If humans lived in a world without boredom, there really would not be changes anywhere since everybody would not feel the need to move onto a new thing to do.
I also agree with Elpidorou on his assertion that the emotion of boredom should not be ignored because of the benefits it actually gives in life. Around the world, philosophies have given the aspect of boredom a negative light; that it has only acted as a hindrance for human nature. However, this is not the case. In order to progress, one must know the extent to the ineffectiveness of something. If any course of action is deemed as “boring” and insignificant, the best thing to do would be to do something else more productive and actually something to hold one’s interest. Those who experience “boredom-proneness” are actually lucky to view everything as boring. Having that would mean that something new would be done very often and that would mean a possible bad outcome was prevented due to the sudden change in action. Therefore, boredom should most certainly not be ignored because it is possibly leading one in the right direction in life.
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