Boredom

Boredom’s a powerful force. As a survival instinct, it makes a lot of sense; we strive for new experiences which may lead to developing new skills or a better understanding of the world. However, boredom can be quite the painful thing to alleviate.

Recently, over drinks with a friend, we shared whatever ennui we felt within our lives. As professional software developers, it’s fun being able to know that whatever frustrations one might have with their workplace isn’t isolated to only personal experience. While work isn’t necessarily something you must derive meaning from within your life, it is something that occupies a non-trivial part of our lives. To enjoy working is to enjoy a third of the time we spend in life. Despite the two of us being in comfortable positions, she expressed a desire to try something new once the opportunity arises. I’m not sure if I felt as strongly as her, but it’s an appealing thought.

Beyond work, spending time on hobbies is one nice way of curing boredom. However, what I’ve discovered about myself is that spending time with others is the most entertaining. I really can’t wait to be freely able to hang out with people whenever again.