Could boredom be good for you? A Harvard professor says we should abandon our centuries-old contempt for feeling bored. He claims that boredom is what helps us to realise what is missing in our lives.
Embrace doing nothing, says professor
Uncomfortable thoughts: When we have nothing to occupy our brains, we are left with the wanderings of our minds. Comprehension quiz
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The word stigmatisation in this context means:
A: The process of investigating something scientifically.
B: The act of treating something as disgraceful or worthy of disapproval.
C: The act of creating a permanent mark on something.
D: The process of becoming famous.
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Which word is the closest synonym for lethargy?
A: Excitement
B: Happiness
C: Anger
D: Sluggishness
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According to the text, what is the name for the part of the brain that boredom is said to activate?
A: The amygdala
B: The prefrontal cortex
C: The default mode network
D: The hippocampus
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According to the text, which two of the following are recommendations made by Arthur C. Brooks to help people embrace boredom?
A: Watching more television.
B: Taking regular social media detoxes.
C: Spending at least 15 minutes a day feeling bored.
D: Playing more video games to stimulate the mind.
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In your own words, summarise the findings of the 2021 study mentioned in the article.
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The article begins with an example from the novel Bleak House. In your own words, explain one reason why the writer chose to include this example.
Answers
Tap to reveal
1. B 2. D 3. C 4. B and C 5. The study found that when people at work felt bored, they would use their phones, but this action resulted in them feeling even more tired and drained of energy. 6. Any of the following: To provide a clear and relatable example of what extreme boredom feels like. To show that boredom is not a new problem, even though it may feel like a modern issue. To introduce the idea that boredom is often linked to a deeper problem, such as living an unfulfilling life that lacks purpose.
Glossary
Charles Dickens - The Victorian novelist is credited with inventing Christmas as we know it today through the warm descriptions of it in his books.
Aristocratic - Belonging to the highest levels of society — the top of the upper classes.
Victorian - The era when Queen Victoria was on the British throne, from 1837 to 1901.
Torpor - A state of inactivity.
Lethargy - A lack of energy and enthusiasm.
Depressed - Depression is low mood that affects someone's daily life, and can last for weeks or months.
Annie Dillard - An American author born in 1945, who won the 1975 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction.