Why Boredom is Good For You
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- Опубликовано: 20 май 2024
- Boredom makes you more creative, altruistic, introspective, and helps with autobiographical planning.
This video was sponsored by LastPass: bit.ly/2wAsdUu
I feel like this video might come across as condescending but the person I'm really talking to is myself. Despite the fact that I know how useful it can be to be bored, I still find myself trying to fill every last moment with stimulus. Boredom is unpleasant - the open, unstructured thinking that can take place can also feel pointless. But now I'm made this video to remind myself how important boredom is so hopefully I'll make more time to be bored.
More resources:
The boredom leads people to shock themselves study:
Just Think: The challenges of the disengaged mind
wjh-www.harvard.edu/~dtg/WILS...
Boredom leads people to consider their future and set goals study:
Back to the future: Autobiographical planning and the functionality of mind-wandering
www.sciencedirect.com/science...
On boredom and altruism:
pdfs.semanticscholar.org/ca72...
Does boredom make us more creative?
www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/1...
Amazing filming by Raquel Nuno
Music from epidemicsound.com "I Think I Was There" "Critical Thinking 2" "Wide Open" "Seaweed" "A Sound Foundation 1"
Music also by Kevin MacLeod incompetech.com "Fig Leaf Rag"
To stave off boredom, I watched a video on why I shouldn't stave off boredom
MrShroud same
Meta
Nice pf pic fellow dishonoured fan
I got bored while watching this video
Boredom is the new procrastination
"Oh man, that's something to really think about..."
*clicks on next video*
Was it about Irony?
MysteriousSeven lol
* comes back to write the comment🤣😂😂😂🤣*
I was the 1k like. It was 999 before me!
oh
For most people, boredom is the terrifying state of being forced to think about yourself and your life and actually facing reality for a change.
They need to grow up!
NEVER!
Right?! I was questioning why I constantly go on my phone even when I don't want to..I def was afraid of my thoughts and reality 😭
@@milka1150 I know a couple of people who don't get bored because they start to think about anxious things. Like for example money, what they are doing with their life, the fact that they are getting older and their children with severe disabilities - whenever you're going to wake up one day and they're dead or what will happen with them when parents die. They constantly keep themselves occupied otherwise they start to break down.
@@Jackassik yessss...I can't be bored...its either overstimulation or depression...no in between
Even the social media is boring, after a couple of minutes I just test the smooth scroll
Imagine being so bored that you’d rather go to work. That’s the point that I’ve reached.
Cameron Drake point that I miss school at the weekend
What about sleeping so much, you'd rather stay up all night to give you a spark
Same here, I'd rather be engaged at work than be at home just scrolling through my phone or watching TV. And when I do decide to take time off, it feels more rewarding, like I actually earned it.
@@KamiL-jt5lj o hi thats me
That's what I've gone through last 3 summers.
I'm still scrolling the comments to avoid boredom.. 😂
Same
I was contemplating life, and my future goals.
My baby sleeping. So i had to watch this on silence. So reading the comments too
@@ts3dprints732 I was thinking of the meaning of life and what happens after death.
U have other options of thing to do you know
This is very accurate, a few weeks ago i experienced a state where i was very bored and nothing was appealing to me, i was sad and unhappy, and i thought about what truly makes me happy yet i haven't been spending time on it lately. After that experience I've implemented some changes in my life, spending time on that activity i care about and i've been feeling the most fulfilled i've felt in years
This is such an intriguing philosophical view of boredom. I always hated being bored because of that lethargic disposition it led me to, but as this video points out, boredom also inspires one to set and accomplish goals, which is sort of ironic, and I guess I never thought of boredom being the cause of inspiration, but it actually makes a lot of sense when you think about it.
It really does! Often my best ideas come randomly out of the blue, when I try to force ideas it never works!
Researchers: they'd rather experience physical pain than just be bored
Men: they'd rather get shocked than not pressing a big red button
Also you just have to know if the researchers are bluffing. Like, can you really live not knowing if it'll actually shock you?
@@FireStormOOO_ yeah that study was more about curiosity vs fear
@@FireStormOOO_ haha that's funny.
@@2piee yea im pretty sure they might have done that, it would be kinda stupid if they didn't
0:30: Wow, that’s f-ing pathetic. Wow.
How can you be so bad at entertaining yourself and/or at thinking.
Honestly, it goes beyond just 0:30. Its this whole video that sounded pseudo-intellectual and off-the-mark.
Maybe because this Guy misunderstood the Statistics and all that?
No, being bored is not healthy, evidend alone by how massively bad people are at being alone with their thoughts.
Just 15 Minutes and people shocked themselves because of Boredom?
Yeah, this is so bad that it caused me to say a harsh word like Pathetic.
Its that bad.
„Its healthy because it causes us to do stuff and start something“ is the wrong conclusion and this RUclipsrs Conclusion.
HE MISSES THE POINT! Hard!
Props to the guy who literally had two hours of free time on his hands and couldn't handle anymore of it without giving blood.
😂
@ɢᴇɴᴇʀᴀʟ ᴇᴄᴄʜɪ SKULLS FOR THE ARCHEOLOGY MUSEUM
@@anyways4438 A SOUL FOR A SOUL.
@ɢᴇɴᴇʀᴀʟ ᴇᴄᴄʜɪ blood for the blood god
Made my day :D
I've let mysef experience boredom for years. I even reduced my phone data to 1GB per month, only to avoid myself using it. Then, in those days in "boredom" I challenged myself to not to think anything. It was, and it is still really difficult, but I was able to do it. And thanks to that I think I acquired 2 things.
1. I was able to stop my thoughts when I wanted, so I did this when I couldn't sleep, and it worked wonderfully.
2. I discovered when you stop thinking, your mind wanders through the aisles of the huge mansion of our minds, and there are rooms that haven' t been opened for months, maybe years... And when you let your mind wander, it is like it goes to open those doors randomly, and then, there you have all these thoughts that you have forgotten were there! And some of that thoughts are so useful that may get your life back on track, or take you to your next adventure in life, or notice things that no one has ever noticed.
So don't push that button so quickly. Human mind and consciousness are unbelievable interesting and mysterious.
Beautifully said. Ditto, right on, and redundancy is yet another portal to the Creative Unknown.
But, I'm really curious, who wouldn't want to try out that Hot looking Button?
We need more of these comments and replies, it would help us understand ourselves better
I suppose meditation can be seen as boredom.
Thank you, for this comment
No matter how bored I was, I don’t think I’d want to push the button to shock myself, I’d be too scared to. I hate pain 😆
Feeling like there's nothing to do is my favourite state of serenity
"Like getting this guy's leg outta my face! That'd be perfect!"
The most aggressive we've ever seen Derek lol
Guy with legs blocking camera: WTF U SAY TO ME U LITTLE SH-T
Hmn. I find guys' legs interesting. I guess we're all different.
ALPHA.
DungeonFreak 3:20
Of couse, he's Australian
“Boredom is healthy”
Me and the boys in quarantine
Fitness is my passion
And occupation
and meditation
That doesn’t even make sense.
@@immortalsun Yes it does and it's very funny
natsuki in quarantine: manga is my passion
Blessed to feel bored at times. I was very over stimulated, nervious, restless. Boredom has been a good friend..l met myself.
I've been telling my friends that being bored is one of the best things that can happen to them. Everyone is working or learning or doing anything except sitting there and just existing. I love being bored, I've spent many years learning to love being bored, in fact I'm going to go sit outside after watching this. Thanks.
Simply put: Live in the moment. You have one life.
That’s great
"contrary to popular belief, it's not when you have absolutely nothing to do. It's just when none of the options you have available to you appeal to you."
I like this explanation, because every one of us has been told as a kid, when we complained about being bored, "well do your homework then / clean the toilets / {some other unappealing task that doesn't fix the boredom itself}" lol
I don't know why anyone would consider an annoying chore as a good option for relieving boredom. I'm looking for entertainment not pointless chores! XD
@@FranciumBoron if you're tired from chores, you're no longer bored.
@@xerex21212 Yet I'm still in a bad mood, so it doesn't alleviate my situation.
@@FranciumBoron then you should do something about the cause of the bad mood. Not ignore it with entertainment.
@@xerex21212 Ignoring it is all I can do.
This has made me realize how underrated school really is.
Maybe this is the real reason for school
Lol XD
Now I feel the value of school.
Actually not really. In this pandemic, I felt that I am more bored at home than I ever was in school.
Yea school can save people from sadness’s and lolnleyness. If your by yourself and feel bored eventually you’ll sad and lonley
@@elciefssn2690 You have no idea. It might be cuz I am the "class nerd", but our schools opened yesterday and it felt like an entirely new experience. These 5 hours and 30 minutes of my life passed away faster than the half an hour online class I became used to during the pandemic. It was great! Meeting my friends, meeting my teachers, studying (not lying, even studying felt much better than online classes). I was so excited to go to school the next day, but 500 students got infected (not in my school, but in the city as a whole), and the schools were again closed down after that one day. You cannot imagine my pain... :'(
This video may have just changed my life.
Whenever I'm bored, my thoughts go really wild, it's sometimes making me feel insane. From questioning some simple things like "why do humans have this exact amount of teeth" to something like "what would I feel and sense if nothing existed"
This is why it's difficult for me to not go on my phone (or "push the button"), because the internet is full of information, and it can sometimes satisfy my questions
Why dont you write these thoughts down.. and then you practise a bit of exercise with wrists too
İn the past people discovered incredible ideas in the past like gravitational force, what you called weird thought is creativity for some people
When I was 19 I spent an entire day staring at my ceiling. Next thing I know it was late in the evening, so I went to bed. Don’t know why or how. I didn’t eat, dream, use the restroom; just stared at the ceiling. Later that year I realized I was depressed.
F*** you had me in the first half
Umm
You scared me....
saaaammme. In the last few months, scrolling through my phone, watching a video, listening to music, or doing anything I used to do no longer made me feel content. I would rather just stare at my ceiling and drown in my own existential thoughts. That is very much depression.
To be honest i do that from time to time, i don't really do much on my free time, so sunday is a great day to do nothing.
This is sooo true, when I was a teenager, and was studying maths, physics, i often asked myself, why someone would invent this?! And I would always answer, they were bored... It truly was benefitial for them.
Nerds
@@kysonbailey1663 child
@@deathshooter7220 y u get nerd as an offense, they're just admitting that they're less smart than u :P
@@jacopobalia31 I commented "child" because they are a literal child.
@@kysonbailey1663 honestly rather be a nerd than an absolute dumbass
'Except in your case the pain goes much deeper into the very nature of who you are and who you will become.'
This was so deep...
This guy donated blood because he had an hour to spare… what a Great Person!
lol
Who cares what his reason is (as long as it's not malevolent, obviously)?
he's a gigachad
😂
That intro is the best example"the root of all human suffering is our inability to just sit still and be happy"
Suffering is inprinted in our existence. Everything changes, we are growing older, we get sick, we watch our close ones suffer from the same situations, things and people we feel attached to change or pass away from our lives. And yet we didn't evolve to just sit around and accept the tragedy of our existence and make peace with it, it was a constant struggle, always being vigilant, fearing for our lives and the lives of our closest community. Then it was also the desire to move up the ladder, being creative, productive, working more here in the present so that I may have a more comfortable life while I'm older. Or even if I am not beneficial of my sacrifices, my children will be and my community around me. And all of that happened through a constant struggle to develop, farm more land, produce and sell more goods, also a bloodshed.
You speak of this inability to "sit still and be happy" as if it should have been something natural for us and that it's sad it's not. I would rather view it as a skill you can learn and acquire in the world where your fear of death and struggle for surviving is not present as much as a few thousand years before. Heck, even back then there were people who would devote their lives to thinking and just listening to people, advising them on their actions. We have that comfort now and I would rather be grateful for that opportunity and conditions we find ourselves in than feel somewhat miserable.
@@patryklewandowski2099 that's where your knowledge lacks, instead of going further ahead they would have given a thought to mind whether should I even move in that direction, we don't know what the creator of this world (simulation) even wanted from us. There are 8 Billion people now, and there is no single person who ever have lived the same life to other person and there will never be.
Do you always feel proud about your community? You don't even know at which way it can go and you will never.
The one who gains, it loses that too.
One who laughs, it cries too. And same for every other things. This world is perfectly balanced.
Every atom in this universe is connected with each other. If you think that life gonna become more comfortable when you get older then let me tell you, future has infinite number of possibilities and you are considering only one of them.
You think people aren't afraid from death now!
No matter how much we grow we can't change our instincts and behaviour.
@@yourevolution7850 follow Jesus Christ and u will know what he wants from u. Suffering is a blessing only in time and through the Holy Spirit can we begin to understand.
@@danthemann7 Christianity thinks only the existence of human matters
And it also failed in explaining why the god created this world?
@@yourevolution7850 no it doesnt. Its a test to see if ur willing to live for urself and enjoy ur free will rebelling against God or u can choose the righteous path which takes sacrifice, pain, sorrow ect just like Jesus Christ did. All sin leads to death and temporary happiness in pleasure shall not live forever. Its a test bc only those who are clean from all sin can enter where The Most High is. All of us fall short so none of us have a free ride to eternal paradise. Its all about God and his story. We are only thankful he brought us into it. Look around u NWO closer than ever
you know this made me realize, that me starting to write songs, stories, painting, and makeup, were all caused by boredom. thanks for making me realize that.
damn you livin a good life
@@danok1769 trust me that is just the highlights of my life, its bad underneath all that
@@rachellealexandra6720 nahhhh impossible
100% similar thoughts. Being bored helped me be more attentive towards my hobbies, like singing and stuff (Proof in my channel xD)
yes i also writing songs and stories and its really helped me out rather than griefing on wasting time and wasting time
Honestly, I loved this video. It surprises me so much how often people will fill every little second with external stimuli (usually in the form of content from their phone).
I always thought how this must just hijack any time for any personal thoughts or mind-wandering as you say.
This is fascinating, and you’ve inspired me to learn more about it.
i LOVE being bored, been saying it for decades. im usually so stressed at work and then my off time is all scheduled and my whole life built around work and what time i have to be there and what time i get to leave and it dictates when i go to sleep and when i wake up and everything. so i live for those rare moments when i get the pleasure of being bored.
I can play with my fake scenerios literally all day
Write em down and become a writer
You're indestructible.
same hehehehe
life is never boring when you can create a new life in your head
That’s why I love to sleep. I come up with interesting and entertaining dreams that I can follow and build on because I’m a lucid dreamer, I can control what I dream and what I don’t (usually.)
Samee
"except in your case, the pain goes much deeper - to the very nature of who you are, and who you will become."
He killed us all.
💀
@@zaytaz9331 yuppm
🤨
No, he enlightened us all
yupe
this video encapsulates so well the mindset i have been having the last year and i think it is really important
I knew it, I always make the conscious choice to not use my phone when I shouldn’t or even when I could. I always think of it as a way to be proud of myself for not falling victim to my ADHD tendencies and the urge for stimulation (I make complete stops at stop signs now for the same reason.) In doing so I think a lot about my life and how I perceive what’s around me, I’ve thought about immediate goals like fixing my car which was on its way to the junkyard, I’ve thought about relationship issues that troubled me. I’ve realized different mentalities of complicated issues that shifted my outlook entirely just by having that 30 seconds to a few minutes to be undistracted. Being bored and having that time to reconcile and go over events and how they affect me and my path moving forward is something that I now enjoy (not enough to never pick up my phone to get that stimulation,) but enough to always choose boredom when warranted. One last thing, because of my ADHD I get hyper focused on screens, to the point where entire conversations and external (not screen) stimuli aren’t sensed, so when I’m bored I reallllly think about things because I can’t any other time. It’s nice to unravel a problem then pick apart the solution amongst the rubble, all while unwinding my high spun, over-stimulated brain.
I think this is why a campfire is so pleasant.
A campfire is just enough stimuli so that you don't feel bored but its not so much that it distracts your mind so you can still think about things. In other words a campfire essentially initiates a thought provoking state of mind that gives you that same feeling of boredom but without the dreadfulness that boredom can bring.
I’m glad that I read this. I agree that there is a calmness in watching a camp fire or a fire in a fire place. I hadn’t given it much thought that the sights and sounds of the controlled blaze might be just enough to ease the mind and “pardon my pun” just enough to spark the creative imagination into action. I find this fascinating and think that I’ll look into it a little further.
I think the same is true when showering. Showering does not make you feel bored but it lets your mind wander.
@@leonmuller8475 Showering feels really good too
Or like watching a river flow by.
Or watching the waves come and go at the beach.
Basicly it is things which are monotone that get us into this state.
And its the reason people have flow-experiences while doing monotone tasks or why you get the "runners high".
Or why people have blissful joy during meditation, doing nothing but watching their own thoughts come and go.
Think of every screen as an enemy of that state of mind.
Regular camp fires are boring. If you add color packets to your campfires there much better.
Boredom is good up to a certain degree, it's basically dopamine detox. However, excessive boredom may lead to depression. It's about finding the right balance, as it is with almost everything.
fatio
there is no detox of dopamine lol, there are only reset of the dopamine level
yeah idk why he didn't talk about dopamine detox here
@@survival_man7746 There's no such thing as "dopamine detox"
Not being bored leads to depression too, though. I believe there are studies linking excessive phone/social media use to more depression.
المعلومة الوحيدة التي استفدتها من هذا الفيديو هو أن الملل يزيد من شعور الإيثار و هذا هو الجانب الإيجابي منه
I've always felt that in school, I loved the way my mind wandered back and forth to what I was learning and what I was thinking. I never sat next to my friends or got my phone out cause I was actively learning stuff by allowing time to think, the more stimuli I had the less I learned
Felt the same way at school too but never struggled with schoolwork and friends or anything but I would certainly get bored more quickly than my friends. We were once playing football on a weekend and my friends after that just wanted us all to sit down and chill for a bit (not because they were tired), I got so angry and went home 😡😂.
Chilling when we could be doing something else, nah
Honestly my thoughts keep me entertained it’s like having a friend I never had
oh same!
Same
Same. It's like I'm jk Rowling in there lol
I am having more than one friend! 😰
I hate them… that is why I try to find other stimulant… they drive me crazy all the time.
"Getting this guy's legs out of my face"
-Derek, 2018
LOL
That statement has a plethora of meanings. Thanks Derek
that rude. hahH
That'd be perfect.
😂😂😂😂😂
Anyone else get bored and start reading comments?
I saw this vid multiple times in recommendations but I correctly suspect it would be something deep. I'm glad to finally watched it. It's an important lesson. Thank you!
as a college student who had learned this the hard way to get a degree, being bored is your best friend. It lets you do things that you would otherwise find unpleasant to do. Maybe you dont like doing homework, try being bored and see if you'll prefer to do the homework now? Its like counter intuitive but your brain will always choose something over nothing. Generally it will choose the goals you want to pursue for yourself. Stay bored out there!!
exactlyy. being bored really does help you be productive. You can waste time scrolling thru something useless on ur phone or u can do something better with your time. luckily my phone is dry as hell
Not for me...I used to do nothing for hour after hour instead of doing homework. Doing homework was more boring and more tiring than not doing anything...which makes sense as to my decisions on choosing homework or doing nothing.
The pre-requisite is that you have too have some degree of ‘wanting’ for any task. Basically removing distractions that are in the way of wanting to accomplish your goals! Their are many studies online of goal attainment and goal pursuit. :)
Never thought about it that way
@@sidthesloth12 its not that youre doing nothing, its more like your thoughts are just more enjoyable then your homework. this is something I also do experience.
My Friends: ''come hang out with me I'm boooored.''
Me: ''Good, Stay bored.''
Derek isn't denying social interaction. They are necessary for humans. Just prevent yourself from from unnatural levels of Dopamine for many days continuously.
Jatin Bhatnagar what-? I just say that because I’m a sarcastic person and I already knew it’s good to be bored sometimes. I hang out with them whenever.
@@_deademuse_4776ok
Bruh 😂
LoL
The amazing thing about this youre the first one how promises a better life without starting a side hustle tomorrow but by just doing literally nothing
I like this and after little experimenting i came to know it is really important. Doing nothing and only observing things around us really help us to calm our minds. It is like recharging mind by giving some rest. The tiny time gaps in our lives like waiting on a bus stop, walking from my home to my friends home, waiting for the tea etc. really gives small rest to our busy mind if we don't indulge in browsing internet, plugging earphones, checking mails etc. Those time gaps are meant to calm our mind instead of keeping them busy. Thanks for making this video.
Imagine going into the desert and just seeing this guy lying there.
With a drone over his head
@@nilaksh007 Lol
@@sirensynapse5603 world's biggest pastry
I would be so Flint Lockwood
Vibin
That ending was so fit for: "and as always... thanks for watching"
ikr
Mr. Sauce is dead.
@@xnopyt647 so sad....
@@xnopyt647 he isn't. He is at D!NG channel quite frequently
I sometimes think of Veritasium as my Vsauce substitute
Thank you for making me realise that something so simple is affecting me so much... now I have something to work on to improve myself ❤❤❤
the fact that the video itself it at most 7 minutes long with 6 of it being content makes it even easier for this amazing video to spread, I find myself leaving less than a 1/4 of a 30 min video and constantly checking the videos length and feeling something negative when its longer than 10 min
Regarding the shock: was it boredom or curiosity? The fact that the men and women difference is so high also makes me think fear of pain was a factor
Yeah, honestly, I think I would press it just to see how intense it was, or something like that... Not that I really care about being bored
I would probably ask to press the button once before they even started the timer just out of curiosity, really
This is exactly what I was thinking. If there was an experiment where the participants could use a computer/phone whilst sitting in front of the shock button, I'd bet that they would still press the button due to curiosity.
Exactly what I was thinking
Man did the curious thing. Women took the money home.
"If you are never alone, you cannot know yourself." - Paulo Coelho.
Well I have been alone a bunch of times but I don't know who the Frick I am
(Btw I just realised that Google keyboard has Frick saved as a legit word )
I just read Paulo Coelho as Paulo Cathulhu
Gênio !
Brazil!!
Little do foreigners know that if they quoted Paulo Coelho among Brazillians they would be laughed at
It feels like I should watch this video every morning. The topic is discussed so casually is more serious than people can imagine.
I've been struggling with focus all my life and the only thing I could pin point to is that I never got bored enough. There were always some external stimuli to keep me entertained. I recall unable to sit down and study for long time because I get anxious and my mind runs wild. I still have this issue and now I'm experimenting with different stuff to find out the problem and its solution.
One thing I came to know is the more I get bored and the less stimulation I indulge into - the better my focus gets. I see the results in like 2-3 days! I use to listen to podcast, videos, songs, etc while doing any mundane task - laundry, walking and even during work. I was unable to work on things which needed focus.
I'm still struggling but will get better. Thank you so much for this amazing video.
I feel you, imagine a 3 weeks or more of free time to nothing, just nothing, your life will not crush it will thrive doudou
Coming back to comment 2 years later, video changed my life. Stopped my RUclips addiction, got me driving towards my goals. Thank you
This is why prisoners are so creative and write books, boredom.
So rape could make a people creative.
Good thought.
edkachalov or murder.
edkachalov lol ima head out
we are all prisoners of life
😬
@@edkachalov or being born
I'm pretty sure I'd push the button in that scenario, but it would be out of sheer curiosity rather than boredom.
Unless they made you experience the shock beforehand.
The stimuli is when you press it continuously, the first press will be because of curiosity which arised because of boredom.
I was thinking same :-) I mean, 6-15 minutes in the room? I can stare a wall for an hour in my own thoughts, no problem. But I think I'd still press the button as I'd be curious how the shock feels.
Bollocks to that, I got shocked enough times in my life I don't need another one.
Yeah... I don't think I would, I'd be fine with being bored, but I thought the same thing... how do they know the participants pressed the button because they couldn't stand the boredom, rather than just being curious or something else? It also reminded me of this video I saw recently, sort of a similar situation: ruclips.net/video/Q2YSNm66sQQ/видео.html
I really like this video. Boredom is a good thing, but unfortunately people escape it with the wrong things like social media, corn, videogames, etc.
As an addict in recovery, the line: "think carefully before you press that button." hit especially hard.
man asking: WHY MEN DIE QUICKER THAN WOMEN???
=0:28
Kind of true in a broad sense
Men get bored?
Men have a shorter life span because of testosterone.
Men are generally less afraid of pain
@@rajadhirajmaharaj Why shouldn't they?
Some people got confused with the video. He didn't say to stop using phone or checking instagram. Just don't pull out your phone when you have 10sec or 1min free. In those 10sec you won't find anything useful on the phone anyways ^^
It's more like "don't try to alleviate your boredom by spending time on apps or something similar, instead use that time to do something creative because when you're bored, you're likely to be much more creative than you usually are"
I only use social media to brainstorm creative stuff anyway.
EDIT: I didn't notice Eyan Towni's post
No... he mainly made this video for a personal reminder. What type of goal are you going to set for yourself in 10 seconds to a min? He is trying to say it's a good thing to be board occasionally, you should take that boredom to set goals for yourself (other things too) so you can improve your life. If you know your life isn't going in the right direction set goals for yourself to fix that, or become "bored" so you can think about your life. He isn't telling you guys what to do, don't be sheep think for yourself.
I usually compulsively check my social media when I feel anxious. It's the easiest way to diverge my thoughts.
I just like that you all are now creativly thinking about the true message of this video.
Thank you for making these videos and information public.
I think this video made me understand how i was wasting my life and why i was slightly depressed. Now ive stopped watching short form content, and taking walks in the forest instead, and its really helped me. Thanks.
From my experience, I think you only hit one aspect of the usefulness of boredom. I think another major benefit of recurring boredom is that it maintains your idea of what boredom is. If you stay entertained/boredom-free all the time, then your mind starts to get more and more sensitive to boredom. If you go far enough down that rabbit hole, certain forms of entertainment also start to seem boring. So you start watching videos at double speed, or you start having a podcast on while playing a video game, etc. At the same time, you can move your threshold for boredom far enough that even useful actions like doing your job at work or completing your homework can seem unbearably boring, which can lead to you being more distracted and less productive. You, in a sense, develop your own form of ADD. I honestly wish I would have come to that realization a long time ago, because walking back my aversion to boredom is a very irritable process, and since I feel both tired and annoyed, it's very hard to concentrate on important tasks while I'm resetting my boredom threshold. I consistently tell myself that I'm going to be more productive, but inevitably find myself fidgeting or doing seemingly ANYTHING other than what I want to be doing. Because this seems so similar to ADD, I'm starting to wonder if it's over-entertainment that has helped lead to so many kids getting diagnosed with a learning disorder these days. Just a guess, obviously.
IAMTHEJUGGERNATE Excellent observation! I think you mean ADHD, though...
@@dr.akalanka6591 Ya, all of the attention deficits were often referred to as just ADD when I was in grade school, so that term has stuck with me ever since. A quick google search would have me guess that I'm referring mostly to Inattentive ADHD. I don't feel hyperactive (in fact, I'm often tired), but it seems almost impossible to focus on things that aren't entertaining, even if I know I want/need to do them (it seems to take a considerable amount of stress to force me to focus, when I always used to be able to just focus on demand when I was in school).
You are Someone like me
So, in your opinion, how to get out of that state ?
Is it just by frequently forcing ourselves to experience more boredom ?
@@nuprsn I think that helps, for sure. Substitute some of the time normally spent on entertainment to talk with your family/roommates/friends, go for a walk, sit in a quiet room or on your porch or something to just let yourself have time to think. All of those were useful for me. In my experience, the best solution is to find something that can bridge the gap between entertainment and usefulness. I think the death of hobbies in favour of fruitless entertainment has been a big part of the problem. I don't enjoy coding as much as I enjoy playing a good video game, but I do like it quite a bit, and it is far more satisfying to know I learned something meaningful at the end of the day than knowing I traded a full day for cheap dopamine hits. If that intersection of entertainment and meaningful work is making art, or getting in good shape/lifting weights, or working on vehicles, etc, I'd just recommend starting to shift some entertainment time over to hobby time bit by bit. Hopefully, the increased meaningfulness of the hobby/work will start to outweigh the dopamine hunger for entertainment. I certainly still have moments where I slip back down an internet rabbit hole, or get sucked into a Netflix binge, but ever since I started getting more serious about web development, it hasn't been nearly as bad for me. Again though, this is just one layman's opinion.
"Boredom is healthy"
Me: what will happen if i microwave a bottle of cooking oil?
It would heat up, aaand I guess melt the plastic and it'll go everywhere in the microwave, but other than that, no explosion, maybe a small fire lol
A small fire, no explosion, plastic bottle melt
@@neth7826 i once microwaved plastic cup
did not melt
yo uwil most probabaly think of it
@@sayefabir8667 why is then in rhe manual written to not microwave very oily or/and very sugary substances ?
I always motivate myself and acknowledge my weaknesses when im bored, its true😢
I love your channel. It always made me think. More power to you!
People who use their phones in traffic need to revaluate if they should be driving at all.
agreed
Same with pedestrians as well.
@@4ndyr0g3r50n Same with everyone. But, you're driving a weapon, and what can possibly be that important while operating a moving 1-2500 kg bullet?
Oh that pisses me off so much so that now when I am at a traffic light or in traffic..I want the cars to my sides to be bluefacing it (phone reflection in face) so I hit the gas just a little to make them think we are going and they start to go then bam they have to hit the brakes & We laugh at them. I like honking too
@@dickfitswell3437 Good!
So many people have said, for many years, “I have my best thoughts in the shower” or on the toilet. I find that a direct connection to this video. Those are boring moments that allow for creativity
Maybe it’s just me but I have those thoughts everywhere.
Yer name lol!
or at night
The shower isn’t boring, it’s calming.
I somehow have the feeling that everyone uses a different definition of boredom than me. Boredom is something different than just being in my thoughts. I can easily spend hours doing nothing but being in my thoughts.
But as soon as I have to wait on something it becomes really unpleasant almost depressing feeling.
Then there are days I feel bored no matter what I do.
when i am bored or in a situation where i have free time, i meditate. i consider this the best use of my time. you can meditate anytime, anywhere and to meditate is a good thing for you and all sentient beings. i remember being bored as a child. if only some one had taught me to meditate then. what a wonderful use of all that wasted empty feeling that is the feeling of boredom. and how it could have changed my life for the better starting at an early age.
I must say it's quite serendipitous to see this on my feed. Also makes me feel proud of myself and reassured in my intuition. I was talking to a young woman today in Wendys who was about to move out and live on her own for the first time. She was quite excited but also nervous about starting her knew life as an adult innthe real world. I asked her if I could give her some advice. I told her two things. 1) make your bed every morning and 2) learn to be ok being bored
"So think carefully before pressing that button"
Me, who already liked the video: -_-
...or me, responding with a comment.
@@barrywhite9114 or me.. liked your reply
@@daringcuteseal or me. Just subscribed to your channel
@@barrywhite9114 or me responding to your response
Vsauce: Boredom is bad.
Veritasium: Boredom is good.
vsauce said boredom is good to an extent but too much of it is bad bc there is a lack of mental stimulation which is bad for the brain
I also remember Vsauce saiying that boredom may not give you the time of your life, but it can add time to your life, which is not a bad thing since you feel more time when bored
@@Tonytoon27 it will be boring time though
@@kawosdhdos i am sure lots of people doesn't need to worry about lack of mental stimulation. Get bored.
@@Tonytoon27 that’s Not good actually
I totally agree with this video. Nowadays when I'm travelling in a bus for 4-5hrs, i tend to just look out of the window and just think random stuffs, it feels more relaxing and enjoyable than using my phone or putting on my earphones. I thought the age is catching up to me but now i feel glad i'm doing this😂. Nice video bro 🤝🏻
I am recently retired and am bored a lot. and I love it! I go to bed at 8:30 now and enjoy just letting my mind wander. I am also learning the piano and knitting and I swim every day, but I love not dong anything for long periods and letting my mind just wander. and a host of interesting ideas emerge.
The 15-20 minutes right before bed that I can simply lie there and do nothing are one of my favorite parts of any day. I can create colorful worlds and characters, imagine places to go and things to do, review things I have learned and experienced in my head and how to apply them. Your thoughts are very interesting and engaging if you just give them time to cut through the noise
Same!
Same here
Same.
Imagine not spending that time reliving the most embarrassing moments of your life
Yes it is. But i have insomnia and it just doesnt stop in 15 minutes😅
Being bored led me to watching this video, and this video advises otherwise, quite paradoxical
A good way to resolve such paradox is to
1: Like the video, acknowledging the message of the video, and to leave RUclips all together or
2: Dislike the video, and continuing on with your journey, exploring all the weird sides of human behavior on this site
Jeffrey Wang would be sad to say goodbye to the veritasium channel 😢
that's ironical not paradoxical
valentijnraw “paradox: a situation or statement that seems impossible or is difficult to understand because it contains two opposite facts or characteristics”
valentijnraw and it’s * ironic *
I saved this video to a playlist years ago when it was posted. Today, rather than shock myself, I watched it again out of boredom, and I'm glad I did.
Thank you for this video.
I see now how my attempts to keep my mind busy with audiobooks stifles my creativity.
I'm now going to stop this video mid-way and meditate.
I can personally attest to this as someone with ADHD, boredom used to be the bane of my existence. 7 and a half months ago I moved to a new country and not knowing the language, no friends and very little to do made me think I would lose my mind. In fact, the very opposite happened, my life began taking a turn down a route I had never been on, meditation, exercise, and generally healthy lifestyle habits. It wasn't fun for the first 4 months (that is a huge understatement) but its because of the boredom that I am who I am today. (I speak the language, have a job, friends and I am just happy)
that is truly awesome, i wish i could start a new life too but moving out isn't an option, so i have to fight my brain and improve myself by myself
@@osamaelar1152 feel for you brother stay strong and keep fighting. Also believe in yourself. I had many insecurities growing up and while everyone does I knew one day they would come to pass.
Damn as I young guy in a hole currently.. this is very inspiring thank you!
@@fyessssss you will be out of that hole before you know it. Glad you found it inspiring )
@@yonahgreene wow thanks for the kind words although I don't know how I will get out of this hole 😅
Boredom is dangerous for me. If I'm bored, my mind instantly locks onto my existential dread and goes nowhere else until I'm distracted again.
That’s called depression.
Don't worry about it.
Locking into that existential dread can cause you to make changes in your life. What are you doing to stave off boredom? On RUclips? Is that really changing the dread or is it taking your attention away from it?
Yeah i used to be a bit like that too, let your mind do its thing. At some point it will have thought enough and you should get less of those...
Then, you should see a psychiatrist.
when boredom strikes we found videos like this~ its been 4 years and yea always relevant them contents
I'm kind of surprised that this video didn't come to me much earlier. At any rate when you talk about allowing ourselves to be bored for a time when I am really hearing is the value of contemplation. Contemplation is a valuable practice that we avoid because we resist doing nothing which may mean just sitting and thinking.
Our society has reached the point where we rarely allow ourselves to do nothing. Even when walking or running people have a headset playing music or talking on the phone. My favorite contemplative moment is doing jigsaw puzzles. That too involves doing something instead of nothing.
The other important point about doing nothing is it can be like meditation especially if the mind is not actively engaged in something. To just sit and be still for a time is a powerful practice in developing inner peace. Being still speaks to our essence as we are called human BEINGS after all and NOT human doings!!
The quarantine got me here, help.
Same
Same
Same
Same
Same
It's not like I do like to shock myself when I'm bored. But bored or not I manage to shock myself. The shock is the essential component which always bring me back to the reality, which is after all, electricity HERTZ...
ElectroBOOM what's up man, send me a keysight scope please
Shocks and mehditation is the way to compensate
I wish they included you in that study, you would have set a record time XD
gimme the metaaaa
Epic pun
I agree. Boredom, tranquility and relaxation are better for your brain than over entertainment.
We can find a way to keep it balanced.
I guess that's why my art during a boring lecture was soo beautiful 😂
I lost it when that dude walked in front of the camera
also you must have mad confidence /concentration to be able to talk to the camera in that environment
🤔 I'm confident. Something I'd do.
imagine if he was following a script though and he forget his lines so he just stops mid-sentence and starts over in public
Got bored watching the video, had to scroll down to read the comments for entertainment.
You can't even focus for 7 minutes to watch full video. Just think about your mind state.
And you're not the only one so here are your "likes", enjoy.
+icemy *facepalm*
Paladinß Paula Deen, first of all, it's hard to express irony in comments. I know I most likely was wrong about this one. But I've seen on lots of youtube comments talking they did scroll to comments section before watching the video. They were serious and didn't understand that it's a problem they cannot keep focused.
I would say that this video would be a good 'companion video' to the 'Thinking About Attention -- Walk with Me' video on the CPG Grey channel (ruclips.net/video/wf2VxeIm1no/видео.html).
same
This video comes right when people are used to playing on their phones when boredom arrives
I got layoff last week. Right now im laying on a couch and feel exactly what the author was talking about. Just taking a rest, and gathering my thoughts… what a pleasant feeling.
4:15 "I'm bored, I'ma go help people."
More people like this dude please.
I guess this will happen to everyone who is bored. If one can, why would he/she deny help if bored...
Completely agree. I often actively avoid looking at my phone on the train and just stare into oblivion or muse at people. I let my vision wander out the window after 2 hours or so of computer work and just let it search and think aimlessly. This often gives great perspective regarding your own presence and is essential in my opinion to resetting a busy mind.
I agree i just observe other people but almost all are glued to their phones. Most of the times only older people talk as they are happy to speak with me.
Living with anxiety, looking at my phone is a great way to relax in public places. I get really nervous when I notice that people are watching me and I have a hard time avoiding eye contact with other people. So when I look at my phone instead, I can just ignore all the people around me. Therefore, I am not looking at my phone because I am bored, but because it is a relief
I do the same thing in car rides and trains. I don’t really feel that special tho
Canal Ten Thousand It's not a relief, it's an escape. A bad habit.
The problem is anxiety. Looking at your phone doesn't solve your problem, it just alleviates the symptoms(It also causes you to miss out on a lot of good people to meet). Instead, solve the problem at its core and get rid of anxiety.
All you have to do is to experience whatever situation that makes you nervous over and over again until you get used to being in that situation. You don't have to avoid eye contact, a couple seconds is just fine. It's all about practising confidence. The mere repetition is what makes the anxiety fade.
Don't think about how bad it is, or how long it's gonna take (It took me years). Take each day by itself and see how much progress you can make in that day, no matter how little. Even if you get into a traumatising awkward situation, take a break and try again the next day.
Dude, I have also been trying for years. Some days the confidence is high and everything flows. Other days, not so much. My cheek is also twitching when I get nervous, so the whole thing is pretty visual on my face. However, my point is that not everyone is constantly looking at his/her phone because he/she is bored. But I am glad that you got better
I think meditation is a good example of this idea. It’s like being bored and doing nothing on purpose. I always find that 5-10 minutes of meditation when I’m stressed improves my mood and my general mental state.
Watching this video made me realize that the reason I'm browsing RUclips watching videos is cause I'm bored, so I went to sleep. Gonna watch the rest later, your videos are really cool.
Later edit: finished watching the video. I would admit that I don't think I ever felt that a phone or any other distraction alleviated boredom for me. I mean, it's distracting, but that shallow swamp of feeling disinterested doesn't disappear. Case in point: I opened RUclips because I felt bored and then closed it once I realized it doesn't help. The only thing I found that consistently helps against boredom is: lay down, close your eyes, and drift off.
Boredom made me realize that one day I'm going to die with a lot of regrets and without a second chance at life. Today is the time of your life so, live it well!
Friend, you sound a bit hopeless. What if you were to find out that there is hope for you in spite of your (and everyone's) failure to live perfect lives? Such a real hope does exist in the only human who lived a perfect life in our place: Jesus. We all failed, but God's son Jesus became a man and lived perfectly before God (not just a supposed "good" person based on fickle human standards). Jesus lived a perfect life and willingly died as a perfect sacrifice to pay for our evil. He raised again on the third day. Now all who trust in His perfect payment for sins can be covered by Jesus' perfection before God. The Bible says that those who believe in Jesus haves died spiritually to their only evil identity and now are clothed or re-birthed into Jesus as their new identity. That is what a Christian is: someone who is "in Christ". There is hope for you in Jesus. Those who trust in Jesus are covered with Jesus' perfection and are given the Holy Spirit to live in them and help them to live as Jesus' lived. I know that this may be my last chance to get through to you, so pardon if I sound preachy. Sadly comments are often filled with anger and hatred. I know that the response of some to this post may be a lot of bitterness and confusion. Many refuse the accept the truth of Jesus and hate those who preach it. Today, if you hear the good new of Jesus, do not harden your heart. Perhaps tomorrow you won't hear.
@@Deebadot get out of here, missionary. There is enough purpose in life to be found so no one needs fictitious verification from an imaginary daddy. It will never solve one's problems.
Nope
@@Atlas718 uh no but nice armchair psychology there which is the laziest forms of argumentation around. It’s a great way to not have to engage with many actual ideas though. You realize many religions don’t even have a concept of the hereafter?l so your last statement on that point alone would be wrong though it’s also wrong on so many others as well
@@Atlas718 actually no, we promote the thought of our life being safe in gods hold, we will return back to dust, and we will be just fine, only god decides who goes to heaven, but hell doesn’t actually exist
That's why you get new ideas in the shower 😂
UBER MENSCH unless you have a waterproof phone and now listen to podcasts in the shower
If you get bored in the shower you are taking the wrong kind of showers
+Veritasium Greetings Cyberspace
:(
@@AlecsNeo are _golden_ ones the 'wrong' type of shower
This just how I always thought but I couldn't put it into words. Thanks a lot brother for explaining my own feelings. ☺
Today I felt myself getting bored even doing my favourite hobbies. I realized I have the most fun doing my hobbies after I've done something productive that day or after a period of doing stuff I "have" to do. I'm glad I found this video.
When I'm bored and my mind wonders I'm not bored anymore, I'm more entertained than ever
is that how you got the name burnt donkey
@@noisejunkie8159 lol nah one of my mates and were talking about what we would change our PlayStation or Xbox names if we could
@@subswithoutcontentvid_at_k hah cool
Same, I'm more entertained when I daydream than going on social media
Now I know why I draw better pictures in class lol
Same here
Me too! I never draw unless I'm bored, even though I think I'm pretty good at it! Go figure.
Same lmao my creativity explodes in school
Speds
This is enlightenment
I have always been bored since my childhood. My boredom reached a level that I had no reason to live this life. I remember looking at adults of every age and trying to find a thing that excites me in their lives. I couldn’t. I never found an answer for my thinking and continuing boredom. I thought I should crate a life that I would find satisfaction. I’ve got everything I wanted, achieved every goal and I live differently from all those adults. I basically live in my dream. However, I still felt bored.
At some point I found Fernando Pessoa, the book of disquiet. Then I met the concept “tedium”. If you wonder what that means you can check the 381st part in this book.
It’s a combination of discomfort, boredom and dissatisfaction. What I’m saying is that it might be more than boredom.
Btw, it’s a great video again. Thanks!
As an HSP, I love wandering around in my own thoughts. I am guilty of trying to kill boredom though. This video was really inspiring and informative! 😃