INTHEBLACK July/August 2023 - Magazine - Page 53
TED Talk – Manoush Zomorodi
How boredom can lead to your most brilliant ideas
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For one, he became more attuned to his
surroundings. At times, when passing through
particularly picturesque countryside, he
stopped thinking and became transfixed by
the landscape.
Most of Chevez’s walk, however, was spent
trudging along the roadside, with little to
do but observe the passing cars and the
patterns created by the gravel underfoot.
He often found himself in a meditative
state, with the monotony provided by the
unchanging roadside adding a new dimension
to his thinking. “Boredom allowed me to
reach a deeper level of insight,” he says.
This realisation led Chevez to an epiphany:
“If well managed, boredom can be a beautiful
thinking tool that allows us to see the world
differently.”
WHAT IS BOREDOM?
UK psychologist Dr Sandi Mann says boredom is
the feeling experienced when the human brain’s
search for neural stimulation goes unmet.
“Contrary to popular opinion, boredom
is not the result of having nothing to
do, but rather of having nothing to do
“If well managed, boredom can be a
beautiful thinking tool that allows us
to see the world differently.”
DR AGUSTIN CHEVEZ, SWINBURNE UNIVERSITY
that appeals at that time,” she writes in
her book, The Science of Boredom: The
Upside (and Downside) of Downtime.
While many people typically interpret
boredom as a negative emotion, it can lead
to positive outcomes.
“Boredom indicates that we need to make
changes in our lives,” Mann says.
“It stimulates curiosity – it leads us to
change careers and jobs. Paradoxically, it is
quite a stimulating emotion to have.”
However, too much boredom can become
problematic. The desire for neural stimulation
can result in unhealthy behaviours, such as
excessive risk-taking or substance abuse.
“I have produced many studies that prove
that we tend to eat more when we are bored.
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