The Use of Boredom
Written by Studio AM.
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Boredom has a bad name, and it earned some of it. Nobody enjoys the flat, gray hour when nothing seems worth doing. But I have come to think that hour has a function, and that constant entertainment can leave little room for it.
One kind of boredom comes from having attention available and nothing obvious to spend it on. That is an uncomfortable position, and the mind treats it as a problem to solve. When I leave that feeling alone, my thoughts sometimes turn to a half-idea, an old memory, a plan for Saturday. The discomfort can prompt a new idea.
Now consider the phone. The moment attention comes free, there is something to spend it on, endlessly and at almost no cost. The gap can close before my thoughts have time to develop. That is convenient, but I sometimes miss the ideas that came from waiting.
This is not a reason to seek out distress or avoid every distraction. It is a reason to leave an occasional pause unfilled. A mind that looks idle may still be trying out ideas.
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Questions
Choose an answer. The explanation appears after you answer.
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Question 1 of 4
Which sentence best states the essay's argument?
The answer is C: An occasional pause without entertainment can give ideas time to develop.
The writer describes ideas that sometimes develop during an unfilled pause and argues for leaving room for those pauses.
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Question 2 of 4
Which kind of boredom does the writer describe?
The answer is B: Having attention available with nothing obvious to spend it on.
Paragraph two gives the definition word for word.
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Question 3 of 4
Why does the writer sometimes avoid reaching for the phone immediately?
The answer is D: To give their own thoughts time to develop.
The phone fills a pause quickly, while leaving it unfilled sometimes allows the writer to form an idea.
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Question 4 of 4
A mind that looks “idle” seems to be
The answer is A: doing no work at all
The writer contrasts looking inactive with actually trying out ideas.
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