Boredom is an emotional state experienced during periods of lack of activities or when individuals are uninterested in the activities surrounding them. An emotion is a mental and physiological state associated with a wide variety of feelings thoughts and behaviours

Etymology

The first record of the word boredom is in the novel Bleak House, by Charles Dickens, written in 1852,^[1] although the expression to be a bore had been used in the sense of "to be tiresome or dull" since 1768. Bleak House is the ninth Novel by Charles Dickens, published in twenty monthly installments between March 1852 and September 1853 Year 1852 ( MDCCCLII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Year 1768 ( MDCCLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a ^[2]

Psychology

Boredom has been defined by Fisher in terms of its central psychological processes: “an unpleasant, transient affective state in which the individual feels a pervasive lack of interest in and difficulty concentrating on the current activity. Psychology (from Greek grc ψῡχή psȳkhē, "breath life soul" and grc -λογία -logia) is an Academic and Affect, like the adjective affective, refers to the experience of feeling or Emotion. A state is a political association with effective Sovereignty over a geographic Area and representing a Population. As commonly used, individual refers to a Person or to any specific object in a collection Feels is the sixth Studio album by New York City -based band Animal Collective, released in 2005 by FatCat Records. Interest is a fee paid on borrowed capital Assets lent include Money, Shares, Consumer goods through Hire purchase, major assets ”^[3] M. R. Leary and others define boredom similarly, and somewhat more succinctly, as “an affective experience associated with cognitive attentional processes. ”^[4] These definitions make it clear that boredom arises not from a lack of things to do but from the inability to latch onto any specific activity. Nothing engages us, despite an often profound desire for engagement.

There appear to be three general types of boredom, all of which involve problems of engagement of attention. Attention is the Cognitive process of selectively concentrating on one aspect of the environment while ignoring other things These include times when we are prevented from engaging in something, when we are forced to engage in some unwanted activity, or when we are simply unable, for no apparent reason, to maintain engagement in any activity or spectacle. ^[5]

An important psychological construct is that of boredom proneness; a tendency to experience boredom of all types. This is typically assessed by the Boredom Proneness Scale. ^[6] Consistent with the definition provided above, recent research has found that boredom proneness is clearly and consistently associated with failures of attention. Attention is the Cognitive process of selectively concentrating on one aspect of the environment while ignoring other things ^[7] Boredom and boredom proneness are both theoretically and empirically linked to depression and depressive symptoms. In the fields of Psychology and Psychiatry, the terms depression or depressed refer to both expected and pathologically chronic or severe ^[8][9][10] Nonetheless, boredom proneness has been found to be as strongly correlated with attentional lapses as with depression. ^[11]

Although boredom is often viewed as a trivial and mild irritant, boredom, and especially boredom proneness has been linked to an amazingly diverse range of psychological, physical, educational, and social problems. Psychology (from Greek grc ψῡχή psȳkhē, "breath life soul" and grc -λογία -logia) is an Academic and

Philosophy

Boredom is a condition characterized by perception of one's environment as dull, tedious, and lacking in stimulation. In Psychology and the Cognitive sciences perception is the process of attaining awareness or understanding of sensory Information. Stimulation is the action of various agents ( stimuli) on Muscles Nerves or a sensory end organ by which activity is evoked especially the nervous This can result from leisure and a lack of aesthetic interests. Labor, however, and even art may be alienated and passive, or immersed in tedium (see Marx's theory of alienation). Art refers to a diverse range of Human activities creations and expressions that are appealing to the Senses or Emotions of a human individual Marx's theory of alienation ( Entfremdung in German) as expressed in the writings of young Karl Marx, refers to the separation of things that naturally There is an inherent anxiety in boredom; people will expend considerable effort to prevent or remedy it, yet in many circumstances, it is accepted as suffering to be endured. Anxiety is a physiological and psychological state characterized by Cognitive, Somatic, Emotional and Behavioral components Common passive ways to escape boredom are to sleep or to think creative thoughts (daydream). A daydream is a visionary fantasy experienced while awake especially one of happy pleasant thoughts hopes or ambitions Typical active solutions consist in an intentional activity of some sort, often something new, as familiarity and repetition lead to the tedious.

Boredom also plays a role in existentialist thought. Existentialism is a philosophical doctrine which posits that individuals create the meaning and essence of their lives and that this essence follows from their existence In contexts where one is confined, spatially or otherwise, boredom may be met with various religious activities, not because religion would want to associate itself with tedium, but rather, partly because boredom may be taken as the essential human condition, to which God, wisdom, or morality are the ultimate answers. Boredom is in fact taken in this sense by virtually all existentialist philosophers as well as by Schopenhauer. Existentialism is a philosophical doctrine which posits that individuals create the meaning and essence of their lives and that this essence follows from their existence Heidegger wrote about boredom in two texts available in English, in the 1929/30 semester lecture course The Fundamental Concepts of Metaphysics, and again in the essay What is Metaphysics? published in the same year. Martin Heidegger ( September 26, 1889 &ndash May 26, 1976) (ˈmaɐ̯tiːn ˈhaɪ̯dɛgɐ was an influential German philosopher In the lecture, Heidegger included about 100 pages on boredom, probably the most extensive philosophical treatment ever of the subject. Martin Heidegger ( September 26, 1889 &ndash May 26, 1976) (ˈmaɐ̯tiːn ˈhaɪ̯dɛgɐ was an influential German philosopher He focused on waiting at train stations in particular as a major context of boredom. A train is a connected series of vehicles that move along a track ( Permanent way) to transport freight or passengers from one place to another ^[12] In Kierkegaard's remark in Either/Or, that "patience cannot be depicted" visually, there is a sense that any immediate moment of life may be fundamentally tedious. Søren Aabye Kierkegaard (ˈsœːɐn ˈkʰiɐ̯kəˌɡ̊ɒˀ in Danish Anglicized as;)

Without stimulus or focus, the individual is confronted with nothingness, the meaninglessness of existence, and experiences existential anxiety. Nothing is a concept that describes the lack or absence of anything at all Anxiety is a physiological and psychological state characterized by Cognitive, Somatic, Emotional and Behavioral components Heidegger states this idea nicely: "Profound boredom, drifting here and there in the abysses of our existence like a muffling fog, removes all things and men and oneself along with it into a remarkable indifference. Martin Heidegger ( September 26, 1889 &ndash May 26, 1976) (ˈmaɐ̯tiːn ˈhaɪ̯dɛgɐ was an influential German philosopher This boredom reveals being as a whole. "^[13]

Arthur Schopenhauer used the existence of boredom in an attempt to prove the vanity of human existence, stating, ". . . for if life, in the desire for which our essence and existence consists, possessed in itself a positive value and real content, there would be no such thing as boredom: mere existence would fulfil and satisfy us. "^[14]

Erich Fromm and other similar thinkers of critical theory speak of bourgeois society in terms similar to boredom, and Fromm mentions sex and the automobile as fundamental outlets of postmodern boredom. Erich Pinchas Fromm ( March 23, 1900 &ndash March 18, 1980) was an internationally renowned social psychologist, psychoanalyst In the Humanities and Social sciences, critical theory is the examination and critique of Society and Literature, drawing from knowledge across

Above and beyond taste and character, the universal case of boredom consists in any instance of waiting, as Heidegger noted, such as in line, for someone else to arrive or finish a task, or while one is travelling. Martin Heidegger ( September 26, 1889 &ndash May 26, 1976) (ˈmaɐ̯tiːn ˈhaɪ̯dɛgɐ was an influential German philosopher

Boredom, however, may also increase as travel becomes more convenient, as the vehicle may become more like the windowless monad in Leibniz's monadology. The Monadology ( Monadologie, 1714 is one of Gottfried Leibniz ’s works that best define his philosophy monadism. The automobile requires fast reflexes, making its operator busy and hence, perhaps for other reasons as well, making the ride more tedious despite being over sooner.

Causes and effects

Although it has not been widely studied, research on boredom suggests that boredom is a major factor impacting diverse areas of a person's life. People ranked low on a boredom-proneness scale were found to have better performance in a wide variety of aspects of their lives, including career, education, and autonomy. ^[15]

Boredom can be a symptom of clinical depression. Major depressive disorder, also known as major depression, unipolar depression, unipolar disorder, clinical depression, or simply depression Boredom can be a form of learned helplessness, a phenomenon closely related to depression. Learned helplessness is a psychological condition in which a human being or an animal has learned to act or behave helpless in a particular situation even when it has the power to change Some philosophies of parenting propose that if children are raised in an environment devoid of stimuli, and are not allowed or encouraged to interact with their environment, they will fail to develop the mental capacities to do so. Parenting is the process of raising and educating a Child from birth, or before until Adulthood In the case of humans it is usually

The Unsmiling Tsarevna (Nesmeyana), by Viktor Vasnetsov

In a learning environment, a common cause of boredom is lack of understanding; for instance, if one is not following or connecting to the material in a class or lecture, it will usually seem boring. Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov (Виктор Михайлович Васнецов ( Lop'jal, May 15 ( N However, the opposite can also be true; something that is too easily understood, simple or transparent, can also be boring. Boredom is often inversely related to learning, and in school it may be a sign that a student is not challenged enough (or too challenged). In the fields of Neuropsychology, Personal development and Education, Learning is one of the most important Mental function of humans An activity that is predictable to the students is likely to bore them. ^[16]

Boredom has been studied as being related to drug abuse among teens. Drug abuse has a wide range of definitions related to taking a Psychoactive drug or Performance enhancing drug for a non-therapeutic or non-medical effect ^[17]

Boredom has been proposed as a cause of pathological gambling behavior. Problem gambling (ludomania is an urge to gamble despite harmful negative consequences or a desire to stop A study found results consistent with the hypothesis that pathological gamblers seek stimulation to avoid states of boredom and depression. ^[18]

Popular culture and the arts

In Chapter 18 of the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) it is written; "The only horrible thing in the world is ennui, Dorian. The Picture of Dorian Gray is the only published Novel written by Oscar Wilde, first appearing as the lead story in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 1854 – 30 November 1900 was an Irish Playwright, Novelist, poet and Author of That is the one sin for which there is no forgiveness".

Iggy Pop, the Deftones, Buzzcocks, and Blink-182 have all written songs with boredom mentioned in the title. James Newell Osterberg Jr (born April 21, 1947) better known by his Stage name Iggy Pop, is an American rock singer Songwriter Deftones is a rock band from Sacramento California formed in 1988 consisting of Buzzcocks are an English Punk rock band formed in Manchester in 1975 Blink-182 was an American Pop Other songs about boredom and activities people turn to when bored include Green Day's song "Longview", System of a Down's "Lonely Day", and Bloodhound Gang's "Mope". Green Day is an American rock trio " Longview " is the first major-label single released by Punk band Green Day, from their hit 1994 album Dookie. System of a Down (commonly referred to as System or abbreviated as SOAD) is an Armenian American rock band formed in 1994 in " Lonely Day " is the Grammy nominated second single from the 2005 album Hypnotize by the band System of a Down " Mope " is the fourth single released from The Bloodhound Gang 's 1999 album Hooray for Boobies.

Douglas Adams depicted a robot named Marvin the Paranoid Android whose boredom appeared to be the defining trait of his existence in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Douglas Noël Adams (11 March 1952 &ndash 11 May 2001 was an English author comic Radio dramatist The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a science fiction comedy series

See also

• Apathy
• Dysthymia
• Motivation

References