Researcher explains what inner monotony does to us: Guilty of boredom? Five legends under control

Boredom is consistently cited as the cause of crimes ranging from theft to fighting to murder. But this goal falls short, as Ohlmeier writes in his book: “No one can be a murderer out of sheer boredom.” Often there are deeper problems that lead people to crime. For example, lack of leads, lack of attention or lack of recognition. He writes that boredom is often just one symptom of these problems. “Until these issues are resolved, pure occupational therapy will not be able to prevent murders.”

“People also get bored when they do something,” writes Ohlmeier. For example, in history class, at family gatherings, at the movies, or at work. However, the interpretation that work is the opposite of boredom is common. But a full schedule alone does not guarantee a life without boredom. It is important that the work you do satisfies you. Or to put it another way: Boredom is the unsatisfied desire for a satisfying activity.

German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld once said: “Boredom is a crime. If you’re bored, it just means you’re bored too.” Ohlmeier justifies the popularity of such words by the “pervasive sense of superiority” in many people. A 2022 study in the UK agrees with the sociologist: Anyone who describes others as boring feels better. This implies that you are neither bored nor bored. Ohlmeier writes: “All people get bored from time to time, albeit to varying degrees.” This dimension does not depend on whether someone’s character is boring or not. But from the individual possibilities involved. “Sometimes it’s just the lack of privileges like status, power and money that will change the situation.”

According to Ohlmeier, the idea that intelligent people are never bored is based on the assumption that they are very creative and disciplined and constantly find meaningful activities (playing the violin, reading classical literature, meditating). On the other hand, there are people who supposedly have a deeper intelligence and cannot use their time logically. Ohlmeier writes: “The absence of boredom is a status symbol for many people.” Studies have shown that intelligent people can get bored more quickly than less intelligent people because they often have high expectations or are quickly faced with inadequate challenges. “A classic example is the gifted child who gets bored at school.”