A child whinges and whines. What could be wrong with it? Is it hungry? Thirsty? Oh, no. “I’m so bored!” Most of us may still have vague memories of just how boring it could be when the grown-ups were sitting around, talking endlessly, going on and on – incredibly dull. But then boredom disappeared from our life to be replaced by parties, a job, friends, sport, this and that, which meant life was filled with rushing around, hectic activity and stress. Then that feeling of not knowing what on earth to do with ourselves suddenly became the unattainable we longed for.
And then along came 2020 and brought back the boredom – in an utterly inconceivable way. Apart from going for walks, staring at our smartphone, a newspaper or book, there was suddenly nothing for us to do. Yes, life did return to normal in many ways in the summer, but then back we went again to nothing! All of the pastimes we took for granted and enjoyed so much seemed to have been snatched away – going out for a meal, to the pictures, shopping, spending an evening with friends, enjoying a massage, a short break, yoga – everything was closed off, shut down, not allowed.
This seemingly new feeling is as old as the hills. Many philosophers and poets pondered its meaning and recognised its advantage: “Boredom! You are the mother of the muses,” as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once put it. Nietzsche, too, regarded boredom as the trigger for thought journeys, which he described as the prerequisites for the creation of great artistic works. And Goethe also recognised that it was useful for something else: working through personal issues! “Boredom is a bitter herb – but also a spice that digests much.” But we can also regard boredom as an opportunity for reflection, for coming to terms with our own feelings, and to enjoy a not altogether voluntary idleness, so to speak.
So, not really boring at all. Absolutely fascinating even. And today’s poets also met their Iggy Pop, Dusty Springfield (see playlist), the Ramones – they all sang about boredom, about men, about life without a man, about being bored with life, with society. Sometimes, like Billie Eilish, sometimes apoplectically, like Black Flag.