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/ Newsgroup >  alt.philosophy / 10March2003 /
/ Philosophy Forums >  Philosophy of Boredom! /
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> On Jan25 grasshopper wrote: Philosophy of Boredom!
> Does anyone know people who've written about boredom, why
> and how people become bored?
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 Musician already mentioned Kierkegaard's 'Either/Or'. Another
good resource to consult on this (or any topic) is a certain
monster anthology called 'Great Treasury of Western Thought: A
Compendium of Important Statements and Comments on Man and
His Institutions by Great Thinkers in Western History' by MJ.Adler
& VanDoren. Unfortunately, I can't offer any previews because
I very foolishly gave away my copy some years ago in a truly
grotesque act of generosity (for which I shall never forgive
myself, alas)! In any case, I should be very surprised if
this book did not offer you some good pointers at least.
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 Beyond that, I would also recommend checking some of Colin
Wilson's books. It seems to me that I read a fascinating piece
on boredom in one of his books; but I can't recall exactly
which one it was. You could maybe try 'The Outsider' first;
and if that's a bust, then some of the other Outsider books
in the series might have something. Definitely worth checking
into *IF* you are serious about the Philosophy of Boredom!
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> And what is the point of the feeling of boredom ...
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 Don't think of boredom as having a point or purpose or
meaning or cause or effect or etc etc. Think of it, rather,
as a challenge. Or think of it as God tapping you on the
shoulder and asking if maybe there isn't something you
should be doing with your life?
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> I am permanently bored, it seems ...
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 SpongeBob SquarePants is a temporary cure for boredom! 
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> I feel that there may something profound in this
> state of restlessness!
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 Boredom and restlessness are *NOT* one and the same thing,
grasshopper. Boredom is a loss of energy, a deflation of the
will and life force, if you will. Restlessness, on the other
hand, suggests a more active and dynamic condition or state of
mind. One where there is a more conscious element of awareness
of *dis-ease* bordering (almost) in an active search for a
"cure" or "escape".
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 In any case, neither of these dark-brothers of the mind
are profound in any meaningful sense. An alarm clock is not
profound. It just does what it should. In the same way,
boredom and restlessness are the spirit's way of alerting
you that something is wrong, that there is some danger
near, or present, that you should address.
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 As for parents, if the kids are constantly complaining about
being bored by this, that, and the other thing, then alarm
bells should definitely be going off. There is a serious
problem there that *must* be dealt with. Leaving it alone
will only make things worse. Trust me on this.
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 In my opinion, boredom signifies a certain lack within a
person. Could be a lack of will, or energy, or confidence,
or discipline, or whatever! There is only one *sure* cure I
know of, and EntropicOrder nailed it on the noggin with the
observation that the only cure for boredom is pain. Thus if
the kids are crying about being bored, a quick smack in the
ass will wake them up PDQ! 
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 However, I would only recommend pain as a last resort. As
a last desperate measure, in fact. A much better approach is
to oppose boredom with curiosity. If someone is interested
in the world and the many curious things therein, then there
is simply no time for boredom. Indeed, the whole multi-verse
is calling your name, if only you will sit up and hear it.
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 For example, I find music to be one of those things that is
endlessly fascinating. I've been lately listening to a real
oldie (1974), an album by Seventh Wave called 'Psi Fi'. Good
record. It holds up well even after thirty years. And the more
I listen to it, the more I like it, and the more I know it,
the better it sounds!
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 Life is like that. You have to put in the effort to really
listen. If you don't, then the inevitable result is boredom
and non-curiosity, followed by even more needless boredom and
willessness. Boredom or not? The choice is *entirely* yours!
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         - the almost punitive one - cybrwurm ;><
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textman