So is it best to be busy or bored?

  • Thread starter Thread starter wolram
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the subjective experiences of being busy versus being bored. Participants explore the implications of both states on personal satisfaction and time perception, touching on emotional responses and coping mechanisms. The conversation includes reflections on work, leisure, and the nature of boredom itself.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express that being busy makes time feel like it passes quickly, while boredom makes time drag.
  • One participant shares lyrics reflecting on the fleeting nature of time when busy versus the dullness of boredom.
  • Another participant claims they are incapable of boredom, suggesting that there is always something to think about or do, including drinking beer or sleeping.
  • Several participants mention that social interactions or engaging materials can alleviate boredom.
  • One participant argues that being busy is preferable, as it leads to a sense of achievement and satisfaction, contrasting with feelings of guilt associated with boredom.
  • Another suggests that curiosity can be a remedy for boredom, although questions arise about what to do if one becomes bored of curiosity itself.
  • There are humorous exchanges about keeping each other busy and the dynamics of social interactions related to boredom.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the value of being busy versus being bored, with no clear consensus on which state is preferable. Some advocate for the benefits of busyness, while others highlight the potential for boredom to lead to introspection or creativity.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference personal experiences and subjective feelings, which may vary widely. The discussion does not resolve the complexities of boredom or busyness, nor does it establish a definitive stance on their relative merits.

wolram
Gold Member
Dearly Missed
Messages
4,411
Reaction score
551
It seems to go by so quickly when you are busy, but when you are bored it seems to drag for ever, so is it best to be busy or bored?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
bored:
...Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
You fritter and waste the hours in an off-hand way
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way
Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain
You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today...

busy:
...And then the one day you find ten years have got behind you
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun
And you run and you run to catch up with the sun, but it's sinking
And racing around to come up behind you again
The sun is the same in the relative way, but you're older
And shorter of breath and one day closer to death...
 
I'm absolutely incapable of being bored; in fact, it's very hard for me to even understand the concept. If there's nothing to do, there's always something to think about. If there's nothing worth thinking about, there's always beer. If I'm out of beer, there's always sleep. :biggrin:
 
Eh I get bored if there aren't some really nice people around me or I don't have some interesting article/books to read!(the 2nd is better since I get bored by people after 1 hour!
Danger said:
I'm absolutely incapable of being bored; in fact, it's very hard for me to even understand the concept. If there's nothing to do, there's always something to think about. If there's nothing worth thinking about, there's always beer. If I'm out of beer, there's always sleep. :biggrin:
Didn't you mistype the word 'sleep'?
 
Last edited:
Ooops! Yeah, sorry. Nice catch, Lisa. :redface:
 
Sir, if I ever come to England, I won't let you to get bored!o:)

Danger said:
Ooops! Yeah, sorry. Nice catch, Lisa. :redface:
Sleep with sheep!:-p
 
It's best to be busy when you're bored. :approve:
 
Lisa! said:
Sir, if I ever come to England, I won't let you to get bored!o:)


Sleep with sheep!:-p


I could keep you busy too, are you any good at decorating? i could trade you a days work for a day out visiting some place, you would have to cook for yourself and bring some books or other entertainment as i do not have TV.
 
FAR better to be busy than bored.

If I've been bored at work all day, I feel guilty for having been sat around kicking my heels. If I've been ridiculously busy, it feels amazingly satisfying to leave work thinking "dude, I've worked my chest off today, I've achieved something, and there's plenty to do tomorrow but for now I deserve my relaxation" and the beer tastes so much better!

That's not to say I always need something to do in my personal time; "the time you spend wasting is not a waste of time".
 
  • #10
if u r bored of being bored make urslf busy... if bored of being busy take time off. there got to be something dark to see that there's something bright
 
  • #11
The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.

Attributed to both Ellen Parr, and Dorothy Parker (but what isn't attributed to Dorothy Parker?)
 
  • #12
What if your bored of being curious?
 
  • #13
Then become curious about boredom to figure out why.
 
  • #14
Danger said:
Then become curious about boredom to figure out why.

:smile: lol. nice
 
  • #15
wolram said:
I could keep you busy too, are you any good at decorating? i could trade you a days work for a day out visiting some place, you would have to cook for yourself and bring some books or other entertainment as i do not have TV.
But thsi thread is about your boredom not mine, so it's me who should think of ways to kee you busy. Well for sure I don't expect others to do my chores or stuff, but there's something aboutwomen and that's they always can find something to keep you busy!:-p
 

Similar threads

Correct bore sizing for a shower hose for a pumped water supply
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
AIs Running a Business
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
1K
Courses Double Accelerating Plan in Math
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
2K
Data Breach: XYZ's Privacy/Legal & Ethical Considerations
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
How to correctly tap hole by use both drill and tap bit
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Understanding busy beavers (noncomputability)
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Likable AI Christmas Art
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
1K
Automotive Calculating radial and axial loads for a tapered roller bearing
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
3K
COVID If COVID-19/Recession Businesses Fail, Why Not Open New One?
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
1K
Studying How should I do calculations as an Engineer?
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K