Boredom

One must imagine Sisyphus…bored. Take a break from boredom and listen to episode 78 of Overthink as David and Ellie guide you through the fabulously idle realm of this “bestial, indefinable affliction.” They discuss the peaceful highs and painful lows of their middle school summer slumps, the endless days of pandemic panic, and the sluggish mornings of monks during the Medieval period. What can boredom teach us about existence? Is Kierkegaard right that the masses are boring while the nobles bore themselves? Can 9-year-olds be existentially bored? Maybe all we need to overcome boredom is a little bit of fun, perhaps a holiday. Or is it?Works DiscussedFyodor Dostoyevsky, Notes from UndergroundAndreas Elpidorou, The Feeling of Boredom, Boredom and PovertyEvagrius, Of the Eight Capital SinsGustave Flaubert, Madame BovaryImmanuel Kant, Lectures on EthicsSøren Kierkegaard, Either/OrPascal, PenséesLars Svendsen, A Philosophy of BoredomMichel de Montaigne, Of SorrowThe Twilight Zone* In the episode, we misattributed the quote “The cure for boredom is curiosity” to Dorothy Parker. The quote belongs to Ellen Parr.Support the showSubstack | overthinkpod.substack.com Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | [email protected] | Overthink podcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.