Giving Color to the Vague Problem of Boredom: Observations and Responses

One’s superficial conception of ‘boredom’ is typically devoid of much meaning. Boredom is vaguely understood as a general marker and rubric of self-dissatisfaction and is technically understood by few. This paper contains four objectives: the first objective is to properly and technically define what the state of boredom is with precision and clarity. The second objective is to explain why the problem of boredom has become so prevalent in Western society today. This chapter largely takes rationalism and the rise of what sociologist Zygmunt Bauman would call liquid modernism into account. The third chapter hopes to show the universality of the problem of boredom for both religious and non-religious moderns, and to re-emphasize that boredom is not so much a religious issue but an issue of alienation and identity. The final chapter hopes to offer some responses for how to address this pernicious problem of boredom in each of our lives.