Talking with Peter Toohey about 'Boredom'

One might assume that a book about boredom would be, well, boring. Academic Peter Toohey, author of "Boredom: A Lively History" (Yale University Press, $26) worried over this, as did his editor; after all, how much can one really say about the monotony of a droning lecture, or long division, or waiting in line at the post office. But a quick check of this book's index reveals a surprisingly spirited cast, ranging from Australian Aboriginals to elephants to Victoria Beckham. Toohey, a professor of Greek and Roman Studies at the University of Calgary, makes a persuasive case that there are even benefits to boredom, and at the very least this engaging read proffers a temporary antidote to the noonday demon.

Who is more bored: Americans or Canadians?

I think it's about the same, really. The thrust of my argument is that boredom is an emotion and universally experienced. Some situations and eras can make it worse, and some age groups are more bored than others -- schoolkids certainly are, and the elderly -- but boredom is generally a constant.

You are a scholar of ancient literature -- how did you come to the topic of boredom?

I get bored, like most people, and probably more bored than many people! I always found it incredible that some people deny they're bored -- I just don't believe them. Most people get bored a lot. As an academic, I'm interested in history and emotions. A lot of things were quite different in the ancient world, but boredom seems to have been the same, a constant.

Boredom is associated with kids, but you argue that this is not a children's issue.

Chronic boredom is a simple sort of boredom, brought on by constraints and predictability. A child's boredom can be remedied, but when unrelieved, it becomes a problem. As an adult, if your constitution has a lower level of dopamine -- a chemical compound associated with joy and excitement -- you will tend to self-medicate your boredom through hang-gliding or black-run skiing, drinking or drug taking.

How is boredom in animals different from human boredom?

Of course, we can't say what an animal is feeling, but we don't deny excitement, happiness, surprise, or other primary emotions to animals. The higher the cognitive ability, the more likely to be bored -- a worm doesn't experience the same emotional range as a chimp or a dog, obviously. The most bored animal is the caged one. Unrelieved boredom produces an angry response, followed by a profoundly depressive one. This rings true for humans -- those who are incarcerated go through the same stages.

Should we strive to become unbored?

If we're feeling bored, we should act upon it. In that sense, boredom is like an early warning system. Boredom is painful, and nobody wants to persist with a feeling of pain. Ultimately, boredom is a sign of a healthy mind lacking diversity and exploration, so we should listen to it and express it!