Which is better? A philisophical question, if you will.

[PaulB]

Is it better to live a life of constant stimulation and excitement in which you get easily bored in the quiet times...

or

to lead a life of quiet boredom in which you easily get excited by the simplest distraction?

Let battle commence!

 

[yello]

Yeee-haaaa! I love these type of questions....

...but can I just think about it for a bit... I'm in the 2nd category...

 

[yello]

There are folk that can handle 'boredom' and there are those that cannot, that have to be doing 'something' all the time.

Yes, boredom and something in inverted commas. A matter of definition. I spend a great deal of time doing very little. I enjoy it like that. Doing nothing is not boredom to me, it is doing something I enjoy.

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

I get easily bored, I can't stand it.. it drives me mad. I need something to be doing (most of the time) but then when I do want some quiet time it feels like it's a "better quality" quiet time.

I also get easily distracted (mostly at work) and have a tendency... oooooh look.. a cute little squirrel.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

I'm with yello on this - I'm never bored and I'm quite happy doing something that's very close to nothing, I'd sit and stare into the middle distance if that was all that was on offer.

 

[beanzontoast]

It depends how much has happened to you in life already. If you've had bad things happen in life - things beyond your control - and have been affected by them for many years, getting out of that and into a situation where you can self-determine your life path again means you can happily live without needing to be looking for excitement all the time.

 

[bonj2]

You've pretty much got to be a degenerate moron to be happy doing nothing, haven't you? Doing nothing is an absolute waste of time, and of life.

 

[Fnaar]

I like doing lots of things (e.g. surfing here whilst working, with the radio on in the background) but also doing nowt (eg watching the rain out the window, or the birds, or sitting looking at the river etc etc). Quiet contemplation has a lot going for it.

 

[scook94]

I'm with 3bikes on this. I rarely get bored. I can never understand those that have to get involved in some sort of physical activity to avoid boredom. Do they lack the intellect to amuse themselves in other ways? (just a question, no offence intended.)

 

[Bigtwin]

"Better to be a wise man dissatisfied than a fool satisfied."

Then again, Plato was an idiot. Missed that absolute sitter from the edge of the 6yd box in the 76 1/4 final.

 

[yello]

Doing nothing is an absolute waste of time, and of life.

What should one do with their lives then? Is there some means of judging what is a waste and what isn't? Are there certain things one is meant to do?

I enjoy what I do. It happens to be very little but I think myself lucky for that. I have the option of doing nothing... and exercise that option regularly

 

[threebikesmcginty]

You've pretty much got to be a degenerate moron to be happy doing nothing

I disagree, I'm not a degenerate!

 

[bonj2]

What should one do with their lives then? Is there some means of judging what is a waste and what isn't? Are there certain things one is meant to do?

I enjoy what I do. It happens to be very little but I think myself lucky for that. I have the option of doing nothing... and exercise that option regularly

Well, something you enjoy. If you do enjoy doing *absolutely nothing*, then there's no problem with that, but it would appear to indicate that there's something amiss *up there.*
You're one sprocket short of a cassette, so to speak.

 

[Wigsie]

Aren't they pretty much the same thing?

If your category 1 your life is constant stimulation there are no quiet times so you wont get bored.

On the flipside if your category 2 and you get distracted by the slightest thing then you are seldom bored as in your mind you ARE leading a life of constant stimulation and excitement?

By definition in this world if you think you are in category 1 you actually are just a category 2 with denial?

 

[bonj2]

I'm with 3bikes on this. I rarely get bored. I can never understand those that have to get involved in some sort of physical activity to avoid boredom. Do they lack the intellect to amuse themselves in other ways? (just a question, no offence intended.)

doesn't have to be physical activity. I work in front of a computer 9-5!
Maybe that's why i'm quite ready to do physical activity such as sports and cycling outside of work hours.