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As I grew older, there are certain things I have learned to enjoy more, such as slowness, inaction, loneliness, boredom. Boredom is typically the most controve

As I grew older, there are certain things I have learned to enjoy more, such as slowness, inaction, loneliness, boredom. Boredom is typically the most controversial, so the reason here is that boredom first allows for moments you want out of, but also there's more: It expands the range of comfort zone of emotions and sets the ground floor of your emotions low enough that you can actually welcome more experiences as rather good. That limits the number of "meh" moments drastically. Beware though that setting the ground floor of your emotions lower doesn't mean it lowers down the average "feeling of happiness" in your life. The thing I reject the most today is the constant pressure for action, movement and performance. I used to love them though but now, nearing 40, I see them a way to escape rather than embrace what life has to offer.

liberia 4y ago
Well as a hacker, boredom is the enemy and we’re always at war with boredom. For a hacker, boredom is a form of death.
- ta988 4y ago
  Not my experience. I'm happy to hack things so I have more alone space and time too. I don't see the two opposed at all.
- GrifMD 4y ago
  This sounds like a quote from Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash.
- switchbak 4y ago
  Well, some hackers are also Buddhists, which don't tend to view boredom like that.
  - NovaVeles 4y ago
    And that is how we get Bodhi Linux. ;)
- xcambar 4y ago
  As a hacker, boredom is a powerful motivator and creator.
- a123b456c 4y ago
  Motivation to explore/create <> motivation to avoid boredom. "enemy" ... "at war with" ... "death" ... such metaphors.
- tjr225 4y ago
  As a hacker,
- corobo 4y ago
  I gotta disagree here. Boredom is where all my ideas come from. Boredom is the catalyst to wondering how Xyz works. Boredom is taking an FTP account, mounting it locally with curlftpfs, and then using SVN or CVS on the mounted filesystem, and then realising you can put a front end on that and do it as a service for people who don't have that skillset. No boredom, no hacking.
  - lostmsu 4y ago
    The second para though is not part of boredom.
    - corobo 4y ago
      The second paragraph was a HN-jokey way to describe hacking a project from a personal itch to a service with a target market
pschuegr 4y ago
Insightful comment, thanks. Finding better ways to frame things is an important tool.
mars009 4y ago
Honestly this. I never understood the point of mowing a lawn until now. Taking care of my yard (while failing miserable in some places), gets me away from my computer/phone/tv/whatever, and in touch with the outside world, even if its just me and my yard. Heck, I have come up with solutions to coding problems while mowing or just removing weeds
- xcambar 4y ago
  > Heck, I have come up with solutions to coding problems while mowing or just removing weeds As paradoxical as it sounds, serendipity does not happen on its own. You have to foster an environment to let it bloom. Exactly what you did here.
amberglow 4y ago
There are different kinds of boredom -- one where you can think of something on your own, other where you are distracted constantly or an opposite, concentrated on something boring. First allow you to relax, recuperate, plan, other one doesn't seem to be constructive to me.

liberia 4y ago

Well as a hacker, boredom is the enemy and we’re always at war with boredom. For a hacker, boredom is a form of death.

ta988 4y ago
Not my experience. I'm happy to hack things so I have more alone space and time too. I don't see the two opposed at all.
GrifMD 4y ago
This sounds like a quote from Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash.
switchbak 4y ago
Well, some hackers are also Buddhists, which don't tend to view boredom like that.
- NovaVeles 4y ago
  And that is how we get Bodhi Linux. ;)
xcambar 4y ago
As a hacker, boredom is a powerful motivator and creator.
a123b456c 4y ago
Motivation to explore/create <> motivation to avoid boredom. "enemy" ... "at war with" ... "death" ... such metaphors.
tjr225 4y ago
As a hacker,
corobo 4y ago
I gotta disagree here. Boredom is where all my ideas come from. Boredom is the catalyst to wondering how Xyz works. Boredom is taking an FTP account, mounting it locally with curlftpfs, and then using SVN or CVS on the mounted filesystem, and then realising you can put a front end on that and do it as a service for people who don't have that skillset. No boredom, no hacking.
- lostmsu 4y ago
  The second para though is not part of boredom.
  - corobo 4y ago
    The second paragraph was a HN-jokey way to describe hacking a project from a personal itch to a service with a target market

pschuegr 4y ago

Insightful comment, thanks. Finding better ways to frame things is an important tool.

mars009 4y ago

Honestly this. I never understood the point of mowing a lawn until now. Taking care of my yard (while failing miserable in some places), gets me away from my computer/phone/tv/whatever, and in touch with the outside world, even if its just me and my yard. Heck, I have come up with solutions to coding problems while mowing or just removing weeds

xcambar 4y ago
> Heck, I have come up with solutions to coding problems while mowing or just removing weeds As paradoxical as it sounds, serendipity does not happen on its own. You have to foster an environment to let it bloom. Exactly what you did here.

amberglow 4y ago

There are different kinds of boredom -- one where you can think of something on your own, other where you are distracted constantly or an opposite, concentrated on something boring. First allow you to relax, recuperate, plan, other one doesn't seem to be constructive to me.