Bored to Death

Bored to Death

“And I am bored to death with it. Bored to death with this place, bored to death with my life, bored to death with myself.”


― Charles Dickens from his novel Bleak House,
spoken by Lady Dedlok

(Audio: Being Bored – Music by Chris Spheeris (Allura) )

The expression ‘bored to death’ was first coined by Charles Dickens in his serialized book ‘Bleak House’ in 1852.

Things have changed a great deal since then – we live in a globalized world where just about everything we can want is potentially at our fingertips. Technology and science is advancing at a tremendous rate and the opportunities that come our way can be almost endless. Yet, do we find life any more entertaining?

Boredom must be one of the greatest insults to one’s self, one’s time, and one’s precious inner resources. When we live in an era where there are oodles to see, feel, touch, taste and experience, where is the time to get bored?

Never before has there been so much on offer for the soul and the five senses to be engaged in. It is therefore not the fault of the world for lack of stimuli, but it is one’s own lack of ability to be entertained by it all.

No matter how much we try and be creative from the outside, yet if we are not enthused from the inside, then no amount of stimulation, challenges or interest will excite us. We have to be imaginative and resourceful but first with our own thoughts.

If I have not learnt to use my mind in the ‘right’ way, then of course it will go off track, meaning it will not cooperate with me and I will find myself misplaced. Life will feel dull and boring, as I am not living in alignment with my purpose.

The reason boredom deserves scrutiny is because boredom is like a slow growing cancer; a dangerous state of mind to be in. It gradually eats away at our passion, our determination and our purpose, and our will to emerge our highest potential. Boredom can also be injurious to health: When researchers in a famous Whitehall study followed the lives of middle-aged civil servants in the UK, they found that the people who are most likely to get bored were 30% more likely to die over the following three years. Reinforcing Dicken’s expression!

George Harrison was quoted as saying that the Beatles saved the world from boredom! Whilst music can certainly be therapeutic, whiling away time on Facebook, WatsApp and other social media sites will not save you from boredom. They can be entertaining for a short while, but a real connection begins with real people in real life.

There is enough explanation on the net about boredom from various viewpoints such as those of psychology and philosophy. However from a spiritual perspective, when one is bored, one is totally in disconnect with the inner self. There is a whole world waiting to be explored inside and yet one is facing the opposite direction. There seems to be a lack of awareness and attention to what really matters most in life. No meaning, a lack of happiness and contentment. This is purely a state of mind. There is a powerful saying in the Holy Gita, that when you conquer the mind, you have conquered the world.

Learning to master the mind by giving it powerful and constructive thoughts will ensure that we keep our mental state elevated. This is not meant to imply to keep the mind constantly busy with a string of thoughts; it means to be busy in the experience of each thought – content and satisfied in the experience of it. Once I have enjoyed the thought in my mind, I can then enjoy it once more in action too! This keeps me stimulated. If I am not inspired, I will be expired, meaning, I become the reason to create my own ‘spiritual death’. Giving rise to a completely new meaning, to be ‘bored to death’.

This is perhaps why yogis who meditate for hours and days at a time do not experience boredom. They have learnt to find meaning and satisfaction in the inner journey. This is also why one person can have a life full of possessions, money, travel and friends and yet are bored with life. Others are seemingly living a simple existence, and yet are infinitely happy with their lives.

It’s Time… to understand boredom and to be creative from the inside out. Create powerful and constructive thoughts. Be inspired and not ‘expired’. And YOU will become the reason to save the world from boredom!

Meditation Commentary – My Inner World (Music by Chris Spheeris – Allura)
© ‘It’s Time…’ by Aruna Ladva, BK Publications London, UK