Boredom

Bored

If I had to sum up how I’ve been feeling lately, this is it. Yet, for most of my life, I never really understood what boredom meant. Whether I was hanging out with people or spending time alone, there was always something to do. Now, whether those activities were productive or meaningful is another story, but they were enough to fill the hours. Of course, being busy doesn’t mean you’re not bored, and that’s something I’ve only recently realized. 🤔

The dictionary defines boredom as when something takes a long time or stays the same for too long, making us restless and tired of it. It’s an adjective, which means it’s not something we actively create but rather a state we find ourselves in because of the situation. 🌍
The source of our collective boredom these days is probably the pandemic caused by COVID-19. It’s been two years now, and we’ve all grown tired of the same old routine. Even when we try to find joy, the overall gloomy atmosphere makes it hard to escape that feeling. So even when I’m doing something not too different from before, I feel down. I feel bored even when I’m focusing, even when I’m keeping my hands busy, even when I’m lost in thought, and yes, even when listening to Foster the People’s ‘Houdini’. 🎧

In a way, boredom might be the state right before death. There’s no fitting word to bridge boredom and death. They’re both empty, trivial, and lead to a state of vanishing. 🌫️

Listening to Lee Seung Hwan and Sunwoo Jung Ah’s song ‘Maybe’ fills my head with the embodiment of boredom. The protagonists of this song are full of regret, or perhaps it’s more about the irritation and disappointment with an indifferent partner. They say, ‘Did I waste my youth on someone like you?’ and they speak of boredom. 🎶
Listening to this track, I thought, ‘Ah, there was boredom even before the pandemic,’ and it hit me. I’ve felt this way before. Maybe not as intense, but definitely similar—lethargic and trivial. However, as time passed, situations changed, and that feeling of boredom vanished. I experienced it again in various situations, but each time, it eventually faded away. The important thing is, every bout of boredom had an end, and boredom itself was forgotten. ✨

I don’t really know when this situation will end. Perhaps circumstances that double the boredom might stack up, or it might just go on forever. The one sure way to overcome this absolute boredom, no matter what anyone says, is to endure. Stay present, and endure in this tiresome state so that we can eventually forget this absolute boredom. 💪

Anyway, whether the pandemic ends or I do, I hope everyone manages to get through this. (Is that too extreme?)