Any dharma teacher will tell you the neutral position allows a pause from attachment and aversion . Freedom from grandiose or stormy waves creates calm waters Which may bring calm but also feel a bit dull and " meh ". A critical point in mindfulness is to cut through this dullness and look into the " water " to see the depths and background of mind. Where do thoughts actually happen ? Not in your head - that's for sure. We cannot leap into insight if we are like retrievers chasing tennis balls or barking about something. When confronted with neutrality , most animals fall asleep . Humans are animals too but hopefully we can catch ourselves and recognize something much greater than our chronic habitual patterns of being entangled in thoughts. This is the great gift of boredom.
Thank you for this! So refreshing to read and take in... I remember saying to my mom - "I'm bored".... This past year I've been transitioning from a VERY full-time corporate life to exploring my more 'creative side' and it is more 'boring' in the sense there are no longer deadlines or clients to bring in or sales targets to meet. It's now just myself and what I can come up with that I haven't explored before - for example, drawing, painting, more time in nature (writing a Substack newsletter ;). Shedding the 'what's on the resume' is not what's most important, but enjoying life through things that bring me 'joy'. Not having a 'full calendar' and always 'busy' is very refreshing, but also takes a long time to break the pattern that has been so built into my experience and background as well as the society we live in - in particular here in the US.
As a child, if I ever said to my mom, “I’m bored,” she would reply, “Why are you boring yourself?” which would get me thinking about all of the interesting things I could do if I was truly willing. It was often just what I needed to move me from listlessness, and on to adventure.
I've gone to creativity groups for years. They typically begin with introductions:"Tell the group why you came." Everyone says they want to be more creative. Then it's my turn:"I want to be less creative."
I could keep armies busy on my creative projects. I'm in constant contact with celebrity Scientists. I'm pushing them to be more creative, or better yet, convince me that my ideas are full of **it and I should go back to my "day job" 😁😁😁😁
After 45 years the scientist inventor of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has too few animations, especially his darkest findings: no one can read anger, we secretly love Sabotage, up to 60% of anxious people are cured by placebo, innocuous placebos can mutate into insidious placebos:
“All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” - Blaise Pascal
Great post, Samantha! Yes, we need a mix of stimulation and down time, to process and let the brain do its thing.
Love the article
Always being busy enhances insecurity
Any dharma teacher will tell you the neutral position allows a pause from attachment and aversion . Freedom from grandiose or stormy waves creates calm waters Which may bring calm but also feel a bit dull and " meh ". A critical point in mindfulness is to cut through this dullness and look into the " water " to see the depths and background of mind. Where do thoughts actually happen ? Not in your head - that's for sure. We cannot leap into insight if we are like retrievers chasing tennis balls or barking about something. When confronted with neutrality , most animals fall asleep . Humans are animals too but hopefully we can catch ourselves and recognize something much greater than our chronic habitual patterns of being entangled in thoughts. This is the great gift of boredom.
Thank you for this! So refreshing to read and take in... I remember saying to my mom - "I'm bored".... This past year I've been transitioning from a VERY full-time corporate life to exploring my more 'creative side' and it is more 'boring' in the sense there are no longer deadlines or clients to bring in or sales targets to meet. It's now just myself and what I can come up with that I haven't explored before - for example, drawing, painting, more time in nature (writing a Substack newsletter ;). Shedding the 'what's on the resume' is not what's most important, but enjoying life through things that bring me 'joy'. Not having a 'full calendar' and always 'busy' is very refreshing, but also takes a long time to break the pattern that has been so built into my experience and background as well as the society we live in - in particular here in the US.
As a child, if I ever said to my mom, “I’m bored,” she would reply, “Why are you boring yourself?” which would get me thinking about all of the interesting things I could do if I was truly willing. It was often just what I needed to move me from listlessness, and on to adventure.
I've gone to creativity groups for years. They typically begin with introductions:"Tell the group why you came." Everyone says they want to be more creative. Then it's my turn:"I want to be less creative."
I could keep armies busy on my creative projects. I'm in constant contact with celebrity Scientists. I'm pushing them to be more creative, or better yet, convince me that my ideas are full of **it and I should go back to my "day job" 😁😁😁😁
After 45 years the scientist inventor of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has too few animations, especially his darkest findings: no one can read anger, we secretly love Sabotage, up to 60% of anxious people are cured by placebo, innocuous placebos can mutate into insidious placebos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B_DMsyROMQ
https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCI9s4fzXLYsFQBqjuPdDs3g
Interesting piece.
Enjoyed this - I've thought this for a long time and now I have a name for it 'profound boredom'! :)