Less intelligence causes more boredom, more empty entertainment?

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Less intelligence causes more boredom, more empty entertainment?
Topic Started: Oct 1 2009, 01:25 AM (84 Views)
ren	Oct 1 2009, 01:25 AM Post #1
Yoda Posts: 2,710 Group: Custodian Member #1 Joined: January 2, 2005	http://www.gnxp.com/blog/2009/09/boredom.php Makes sense somewhat. Less intelligent people tend to like more of the stuff that are considered to be banal. But another reason for boredom (that I philosophy teacher suggested) was that it was caused by a lack of inner peace. You can't stand enjoying the quiteness because you have unresolved issues that you need to get away from. If you are truly happy, you can just be content and enjoy whatever comers you way. I have experienced this briefly. But getting back to Razib's point, If you've ever been to a North American casino run by Native Americans, most of the regular gamblers there are not very intelligent. Thinking about gambling is more interesting to them than thinking about what causes boredom.
	It has already begun.


black man	Oct 1 2009, 06:13 AM Post #2
Liaison Posts: 2,462 Group: supermod Member #48 Joined: July 11, 2005	ren Oct 1 2009, 01:25 AM http://www.gnxp.com/blog/2009/09/boredom.php Makes sense somewhat. Less intelligent people tend to like more of the stuff that are considered to be banal. But another reason for boredom (that I philosophy teacher suggested) was that it was caused by a lack of inner peace. You can't stand enjoying the quiteness because you have unresolved issues that you need to get away from. If you are truly happy, you can just be content and enjoy whatever comers you way. I have experienced this briefly. But getting back to Razib's point, If you've ever been to a North American casino run by Native Americans, most of the regular gamblers there are not very intelligent. Thinking about gambling is more interesting to them than thinking about what causes boredom. I wouldn't express it like that. Happiness is what you feel in a "balanced" situation (perfect combination of external and internal stimuli). And humans are social beings. So it's IMO perfectly normal when one usually doesn't enjoy quiet moments for oneself. I just wonder whether any of you guys who don't seem to know longer periods of boredom was ever forced to participate in really dull social activities, such as lengthy rituals of people who want to assimilate or humiliate you. Were you ever exposed to a strong influence of obviously dull people (e.g. certain types of older relatives or religious patriarchs) whose judgment was (within your most direct social environment) tolerated as quasi absolutely valid? Another aspect is surgency. Surgency is encouraged when it's conform with the local standards, no matter how hillbillyish the latter are. When you expect a waste of time and don't have surgency but are nevertheless forced to participate according to a strict protocol, you're normally bored, I think. At least that's the language use I'm familiar with.



ren	Oct 1 2009, 11:18 AM Post #3
Yoda Posts: 2,710 Group: Custodian Member #1 Joined: January 2, 2005	I think you're not talking about boredom but displeasure.
	It has already begun.


black man	Oct 1 2009, 12:48 PM Post #4
Liaison Posts: 2,462 Group: supermod Member #48 Joined: July 11, 2005	Could be. When I was a child, the expression of negative emotions was extremely taboo. I wasn't even allowed to say words like "stupid" or "bad". So "displeasure" could have become "boredom" in my vocabulary. However, I don't think so. My impression is that I used the word "boredom" correctly and that only in certain bourgeois circles the meaning of "boredom" recently changed into something which can be associated with "loafing". Frustration is the consequence when one doesn't manage to quickly enough turn away from boredom.



ren	Oct 2 2009, 06:02 AM Post #5
Yoda Posts: 2,710 Group: Custodian Member #1 Joined: January 2, 2005	Yes, but boredom from having to do something is different from having nothing to do.
	It has already begun.


Starbuck	Oct 3 2009, 01:18 PM Post #6
Advanced Member Posts: 160 Group: Members Member #453 Joined: December 4, 2008	ren Oct 1 2009, 01:25 AM http://www.gnxp.com/blog/2009/09/boredom.php Makes sense somewhat. Less intelligent people tend to like more of the stuff that are considered to be banal. But another reason for boredom (that I philosophy teacher suggested) was that it was caused by a lack of inner peace. You can't stand enjoying the quiteness because you have unresolved issues that you need to get away from. If you are truly happy, you can just be content and enjoy whatever comers you way. I have experienced this briefly. But getting back to Razib's point, If you've ever been to a North American casino run by Native Americans, most of the regular gamblers there are not very intelligent. Thinking about gambling is more interesting to them than thinking about what causes boredom. I think these kinds of persons are unresolved about their fate, so they behave like oblivious neo-Epicureans. Creativity is unvalued by them because it requires a desire to ask questions and keep asking questions. These people are riddled with boredom simply because they have yet to possess desire enough to ask certain hard questions that have directly to do with the reason for their existence. They fear that the status quo will be revoked and that may have to actually put in more effort to escape their current fixation than to remain in it. It's not so much that they are unintelligent (which to me sounds like fruitless name-calling), but I wouldn't argue against the charge of their being just lazy, overindulgent and indifferent to the fact that they lead such aimless lives. Happiness is fleeting. I consider it a bi-product, and not the end in itself, to practicing a spontaneous, philosophical thought-life. Inevitably, everyone who demonstrates a lack of fear regarding truth as it is revealed will find themselves standing under some umbrella. Whether that umbrella is called "the land of the intelligent" or "the land of happiness" makes no difference, as it seems to be describing the same phenomenon. And, apparently, asking questions and continuing to do so will lead you to this state-of-mind. Just imagine if a child never asked any questions...how would it learn anything, how would its cognitive faculties develop? When I was taking philosophical courses in university, a student was never condemned for anything quite so strongly as never having a question to ask. IMO that's definitely one way to attack boredom.
	Curious to know..


ren	Oct 5 2009, 12:41 AM Post #7
Yoda Posts: 2,710 Group: Custodian Member #1 Joined: January 2, 2005	Ok, I'll have to reread what you said (when I'm bored enough) to understand it, hehe. black man I wouldn't express it like that. Happiness is what you feel in a "balanced" situation (perfect combination of external and internal stimuli). And humans are social beings. So it's IMO perfectly normal when one usually doesn't enjoy quiet moments for oneself. Lets see. I can imagine someone without new stimuli but who have old stimuli that he can refer back to because he is happy. But this only lasts for a while; he is savoring, absorbing what has happened. The orientation is backwards - what has happened. Eventually, since human nature is to want to live (increase), it's not enough to experience nothing, not to speak of the physical needs of the brain and body to experience stimuli. Now, if one doesn't have fond memories, even the initial savoring is absent. But rethinking about what razib said, I don't think he means that intelligent people can't get bored, but that they can always find simple things to do that's interesting, such as reading, or even if trapped on a island, making various projects out of the island, while his less intelligent friends would need to party to rid their boredom. I'm not even sure if this is a correct assumption, now that I've thought about it. Certainly one can only enjoy intellectual pleasure when one has reached a certain level of mental processing power, but it depends much on one's temperament, whether one likes which type of stimuli. Pleasure from pondering and pleasure from massacring in a video game are apples and oranges, atleast I enjoy both. Can't make a meanningful comparison. Edited by ren, Oct 7 2009, 12:53 AM.
	It has already begun.


Starbuck	Oct 7 2009, 12:38 AM Post #8
Advanced Member Posts: 160 Group: Members Member #453 Joined: December 4, 2008	It sounded better in my head, originally.
	Curious to know..


ren	Oct 7 2009, 12:55 AM Post #9
Yoda Posts: 2,710 Group: Custodian Member #1 Joined: January 2, 2005	No, no.. I just get bored at reading that kind of stuff easily, and tune out, ehehe..
	It has already begun.


Jhangora	Nov 5 2009, 01:08 PM Post #10
What's This Posts: 978 Group: Members Member #97 Joined: March 30, 2006	I get bored by routine stuff. I like new things, situations, individuals, challenges. One thing that never bores me is spending money. I can always find new products, services to buy.
	The Intrade World Crisis Index 2009


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