Boredom is an integral part of the human condition that has vexed philosophers since the Enlightenment.Of course it's not possible to identify a bore without in some sense being bored, yet being bored is hardly more acceptable these days than being a bore. Traditionally boredom, as Kierkegaard noted, was an expression of nobility, and that doesn't sit well in our democratic age. To show that you are bored suggests rudeness, superiority, even contempt, none of which are endearing qualities.
In a sense, then, boredom is a secret or solitary vice, yet the bored are clearly not alone.
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Boredom is an integral part of the human condition that has vexed philosophers since the Enlightenment.Of course it's not possible to identify a bore without in some sense being bored, yet being bored is hardly more acceptable these days than being a bore. Traditionally boredom, as Kierkegaard noted, was an expression of nobility, and that doesn't sit well in our democratic age. To show that you are bored suggests rudeness, superiority, even contempt, none of which are endearing qualities.
In a sense, then, boredom is a secret or solitary vice, yet the bored are clearly not alone.
May 8, 2014 - 3:21amThis Comment
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