The word, in certain contexts and variations, really gets under my skin. “This is boring…” “I’m so bored…” Well, your choice of words is boring. A real yawner.
According to an article in The Guardian, boredom “is not a problem to be solved. It is the last privilege of a free mind.” The tag line that follows suggests that one “lean into boredom, not your smartphone screen. You’ll learn more about yourself and the world around you than you think.”
The “cure” is not a packed schedule or some sort of adrenaline rush. It’s not finding a hobby or cleaning your house. Boredom is not tragic, according to Gayatri Devi. It’s an encounter with pure time as form and content. And we shouldn’t be in such a hurry to avoid it.
Granted, sometimes we just need to get moving and do something constructive, be useful, contribute.
But not always. Sometimes it’s a luxury to have a little while just to…
think.
