Why do you need to be bored?

Arthur Brooks says boredom switches on the brain's default mode network, which leads your mind to big questions about meaning. He says eliminating boredom with our phones is a doom loop that makes meaning harder to find and feeds depression and anxiety. Explore more under meaning and purpose.

How can I be bored more?

Brooks suggests going to the gym without your phone or podcasts, commuting with no radio, and building up to boredom periods of 15 minutes or longer. His own rules: no devices after 7 p.m., no phone in bed or at meals, and regular screen fasts. See also The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout.

What did the Harvard shock experiment show?

Brooks cites Dan Gilbert's experiment in which people sat alone for 15 minutes with only a button that gave a painful shock. A big majority shocked themselves rather than think about nothing. To explore what boredom points toward, take the Spiritual Perspectives Quiz.

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Man's Search for Meaning Summary

In the face of darkness, what can we hold to?

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