Why You Shouldn’t Trust Boredom | Kevin H. Gary | TED

The First Day of School

The speaker recalls his son's first day of school and reflects on the mixed emotions he felt. He highlights how schools can sometimes be perceived as boring places.

Lucas's First Day of School

• Lucas, the speaker's son, was five years old and excited to start kindergarten.

• The speaker and his family were also excited for him.

• Lucas expressed his boredom with hearing about hallway procedures, which the speaker found both amusing and sad.

Boredom in Schools

• Boredom is a prevalent issue among high school students.

• When students are bored in school, they lose interest and struggle to focus.

• Boredom can lead to misbehavior and even dropping out of school.

Understanding Boredom

The speaker delves deeper into the concept of boredom, emphasizing its complexity and impact on individuals.

Dealing with Boredom

• Initially, boredom may seem like a trivial problem that can be easily resolved by finding something interesting.

• However, the speaker argues that boredom is far more complex than it appears.

Takeaways for Contending with Boredom

1. Acknowledge that boredom is a significant problem in schools.

2. Recognize that boredom extends beyond educational institutions and is linked to troubling addictions.

3. Understand that boredom is both objective and subjective, requiring individual judgment.

The Problematic Nature of Boredom

The speaker explores the negative behaviors associated with boredom and compares it to a curious mood state.

Troubling Addictions Linked to Boredom

• Boredom can lead individuals to engage in excessive drinking, eating, spending money unnecessarily, or buying unnecessary items.

• Industries exist that capitalize on making people bored.

Curious Aspects of Boredom

• Boredom can manifest in smaller ways, such as half-listening to others or wasting time.

• The speaker humorously reflects on the hours spent playing Tetris instead of pursuing more meaningful activities.

Understanding Boredom as a Mood State

The speaker discusses boredom as a mood state and compares it to a dashboard light in a car.

Objective and Subjective Nature of Boredom

• Boredom tends to objectify things and can be judgmental.

• However, what bores one person may be interesting to another, making boredom both objective and subjective.

Boredom as a Curious Mood State

• The speaker likens boredom to a dashboard light in a car that provides clear directives.

• Unlike other dashboard lights, the boredom light lacks clear instructions, often going unnoticed due to its constant presence.

Strategies for Dealing with Boredom

The speaker explores two dominant strategies people employ when faced with boredom: avoidance and resignation.

Strategy 1: Avoidance

• Avoidance is the common response to boredom, often manifested through daydreaming or checking phones.

• People avoid boredom because it can be painful, sometimes even preferring physical pain over the discomfort of being bored.

Strategy 2: Resignation

• Resignation involves enduring boredom without actively seeking ways to alleviate it.

• Some adults advise children to accept boredom as an inevitable part of life.

Impact on Students in Classrooms

The speaker discusses how students react differently when faced with boring classrooms and emphasizes the importance of engaging teaching methods.

Misbehavior in Boring Classrooms

• In boring classrooms, students are more likely to misbehave as they struggle with disinterest.

• It is understandable for students to express their dissatisfaction and request changes in such situations.

Students' Behavior in Boring Classrooms

• However, there are instances where students remain well-behaved even in boring classrooms, which the speaker finds noteworthy.

Boredom and Strategies for Dealing with It

In this section, the speaker discusses their experience of boredom and how it relates to resignation and avoidance. They share two personal stories that highlight the importance of not trusting boredom and protecting our attention. The speaker emphasizes the need to talk about boredom and reflect on our strategies for dealing with it.

Boredom as Resignation and Avoidance

• The speaker recalls being bored in a class and expecting the students to protest or revolt, but instead, they were passive and resigned.

• Boredom can lead to a lack of imagination and a feeling of helplessness or loss of agency.

• Resignation and avoidance are common strategies we employ without even realizing it when faced with boredom.

Personal Stories: Reassessing Boredom

• The speaker shares a story about initially finding their roommate dull but later discovering that they were actually a thoughtful and creative teacher. This highlights the importance of not trusting initial judgments based on boredom.

• Another story involves the speaker joining a group of teachers who constantly complained during lunchtime but eventually finding other teachers who focused on positive conversations about books, hobbies, and teaching successes. This shift away from complaint culture was more interesting and uplifting.

Three Takeaways for Dealing with Boredom

1. Don't trust boredom: Boredom should not be automatically trusted as an accurate judgment of something or someone's worthiness. We should take a careful look before dismissing it completely.

2. Protect attention: A bored mind is prone to distraction, so we need to protect our attention by avoiding easily distracting environments or situations where boredom can take over.

3. Talk about boredom: Reflect on our strategies for dealing with boredom and engage in conversations about it. By naming and discussing our approaches, we can better understand and navigate this mood state.