Why you shouldn’t trust boredom | Kevin H. Gary | Ted Talks Daily

Intro

In this episode of “Ted Talks Daily,” educator Kevin H. Gary explores the concept of boredom and its impact on our lives. He emphasizes the value of boredom and provides insights on how to contend with it. Gary discusses how schools and institutions can contribute to boredom and offers practical strategies for dealing with this common problem.

Main Takeaways

The Impact of Boredom

• Boredom is a significant problem in schools, leading to a loss of interest, lack of focus, and misbehavior among students (00:07:10).
• Boredom is linked to troubling addictions, such as excessive drinking, eating, and spending, as well as smaller behaviors like half-listening and idling time (00:08:40).
• Boredom tends to objectify things and people, leading to problematic behaviors and addictions (00:09:50).

Understanding Boredom

• Boredom is both objective and subjective, and what’s boring to one person might be interesting to another (00:00:00).
• Boredom is a curious and perplexing mood state, similar to a dashboard light in a car, but with no clear directives (00:01:05).
• The boredom dashboard light is often unnoticed as it becomes white noise, and we navigate away from boring spaces into interesting ones (00:02:00).

Dealing with Boredom

• Two dominant ways we deal with boredom are avoidance and resignation (00:03:00).
• Avoidance is a common strategy, as we’d rather experience physical pain than the pain of boredom (00:04:00).
• Resignation is the other strategy, where we endure boredom and push through it (00:05:15).

Counteracting Boredom

• Find strategies to counteract boredom, such as avoiding complaint culture and seeking engaging conversations.
• Reflecting on boredom can help us put it in its place and protect our attention for what we love and care about.

Summary

The Impact of Boredom

Boredom has a significant impact on students in schools, leading to a loss of interest, lack of focus, and misbehavior. It is also linked to troubling addictions and smaller behaviors like half-listening and idling time. Boredom objectifies things and people, contributing to problematic behaviors and addictions.

Understanding Boredom

Boredom is a complex mood state that can vary from person to person. It is similar to a dashboard light in a car, but with no clear directives. Often, we don’t pay attention to the boredom dashboard light, as we navigate away from boring spaces and seek out interesting ones.

Dealing with Boredom

There are two dominant ways people deal with boredom: avoidance and resignation. Avoidance involves actively seeking to avoid boredom, even if it means experiencing physical pain. Resignation, on the other hand, involves enduring boredom and pushing through it. In the classroom, boredom can lead to student misbehavior, but in some cases, students become passive and resigned to the boredom.

Counteracting Boredom

To counteract boredom, it is important to find strategies that go beyond avoidance and resignation. This can include avoiding complaint culture and seeking out engaging conversations. Reflecting on boredom can also help us put it in its place and protect our attention for what we love and care about.

Conclusion

Boredom is a common and familiar problem that affects various aspects of our lives, including education and personal well-being. By understanding the impact of boredom, recognizing its presence, and implementing strategies to counteract it, we can protect our attention and lead more fulfilling lives.