Haven’t we all experienced the pangs of boredom at some point in our lives? Boredom is a state that threatens to haunt us at any age, whether as a child, waiting for a parent to finish a long conversation about grown-up things, or as an adult, trying to find excitement and meaning in the daily grind.
A relative of ennui, boredom can feel stifling, overwhelming, and endless until it’s interrupted — often by an external force. But while some attribute boredom to a dull or tedious set of circumstances, others see it more as a state of mind. Take, for instance, writer G.K. Chesterton, who once said, "There are no uninteresting things, only uninterested people." In other words, boredom may be in the eye of the beholder, and can be avoided by shifting our attitude and perspective.
Albert Einstein, often hailed as one of the true geniuses of modern times, actually reveled in boredom as a foundational ingredient for creativity. “Creativity is the residue of time wasted,” he once said, explaining that feeling the need to occupy one’s time often gives way to new and great ideas. Whichever end of the spectrum you land on — embracing or dreading boredom — the 12 quotes below offer up new ways to view our moments of dull and glorious stillness.
To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring — it was peace.Milan Kundera, Czech writer
You need to let the little things that would ordinarily bore you suddenly thrill you.Andy Warhol
If we allow our “high creativity” to remain alive, we will never be bored… we can be lost in awe at all the people around us, their lives full of glory and tragedy, and suddenly we will have the beginnings of a painting, a story, a song.Madeleine L’Engle
Boredom is just the reverse side of fascination: Both depend on being outside rather than inside a situation, and one leads to the other.Arthur Schopenhauer, German philosopher
In order to live free and happily, you must sacrifice boredom. It is not always an easy sacrifice.Richard Bach
She refused to be bored chiefly because she wasn’t boring.Zelda Fitzgerald
The truth is that everyone is bored, and devotes himself to cultivating habits.Albert Camus
Boredom is the fear of self.Marie Josephine de Suin, French author
The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.Ellen Parr, graphic designer
Nobody is bored when he is trying to make something that is beautiful or to discover something that is true.William Ralph Inge, author
They sicken of the calm who knew the storm.Dorothy Parker
I wanted change and excitement and to shoot off in all directions myself, like the colored arrows from a Fourth of July rocket.Sylvia Plath
Photo credit: Ariya J/ Shutterstock
