The Luxury of Boredom & The Illusion of Time

Article in brief: explains in his opinion how boredom is not a negative feeling, but the result of many positive events.

A lot of phrases, terms or sentences and other pieces of wisdom have become common now. One of them is “you don’t know what you have until it’s gone” or “everything happens for a reason”. I find that a lot of people complain or simply discuss what’s missing in their lives. This does not make me an exception, but what I will never figure out is people’s ability to complain about being bored. Being bored means that one has a lot of spare time. How is that a bad thing? Being bored means the person has no health problems. How is that a bad thing? Being bored means the person is to an extent financially comfortable. How is that a bad thing? Being bored means the person isn’t feeling anxious. How is that a bad thing? Being bored means there is no loved one who is ill or in the hospital. Shall I go on?

No, the only bad thing here is the inability to see all the good things this person has in his or her life. Someone very dear to me who has had a challenging life to say the least, once told me “I miss being bored.” So much was on this person’s plate including tension, anxiety and family members in the hospital that there was no room for boredom. Yet we look around, and people forget to see that they live comfortably, in peace, with financial stability. Sure, the feeling of boredom is nothing to feel guilty for and is somewhat of a natural feeling, but the idea of complaining about it? I will never understand.

There is so much to do out there, a whole world to discover. There are enough things, places, events, for every kind of person to devote their time to. Speaking of time, it’s one of the things that never cease to fascinate me. I’ve noticed although time moves in one direction and is inevitable in its own way and every way, the feeling of time is heavily determined by one’s general mood. For instance, waking up early and waking up late. These two scenarios are destined to be two very different days. Or being an anxious person or being a relaxed person. Surely, the feeling of time for these two people will not be alike.

“Time is an illusion.” – Albert Einstein

Sometimes though, there are certain situations in life where everyone feels the same thing regarding the same week, month, or period. People who’ve not been in touch would get together and agree that a particular period went by too fast, that it was a quick summer, or that it was a terribly long week. This scenario is possibly a universal energy one, perhaps beyond our understanding. In every other situation, I agree with Mr. Einstein.

Naturally there are days that are less busy than others. But never will I complain of boredom. I will look up and say “Thank You” for all that I have, and perhaps smile and pray for some more.

“How did it get so late so soon?”
― Dr. Seuss