Being Bored Is Good • Hacker News Board

Re: Being Bored Is Good

#21

Post by bduerst » Mon, Jul 08, 2019, 5:17 PM UTC

asdfman123 wrote: post #18

superhuzza wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would argue that totally depends on the books and the twitter threads that you're reading! It took me a long time to realize that if a book wasn't interesting or enjoyable, I could just...stop. With twitter it's a bit mentally easier to just close the browser.

I find books are every bit as enjoyable. The problem is the first 30-50 pages are usually a slog, before I hit my "activation energy" and really get into it (or realize I don't like it). When I was less distracted, the slog was easier.

Don't read e-books on your phone. Not that you're doing that, but it's very difficult to do for reasons you're describing.

Re: Being Bored Is Good

#22

Post by sergiotapia » Mon, Jul 08, 2019, 5:23 PM UTC

daveslash wrote: post #2

I was so bored this past weekend, and it was great. Every year I volunteer to backpack into the desert mountains of Southern California, sit in one spot for 3 full days, and count all of the Bighorn Sheep that I see. There's typically a total of an hour of excitement each day, and the rest is just sitting, staring at a mountainside. No cell reception, no human made structures visible, just two other people there with…

Humans were built like this. We must spend time going back to our ape surroundings. Give yourself at least an hour to walk through wilderness with no music, no celphone, just walk and take nature in. God is in nature.

Re: Being Bored Is Good

#23

Post by alexbanks » Mon, Jul 08, 2019, 5:25 PM UTC

Being trapped in a middle of nowhere town that didn't even have sidewalks, combined with the (mis)fortune of having parents that couldn't possibly care less what I spent my time on all gave me everything I have today. Without those thousands of hours on the internet and nothing better to do, I would not be where I am today.

Re: Being Bored Is Good

#24

Post by ryanponce » Mon, Jul 08, 2019, 5:36 PM UTC

daveslash wrote: post #2

I was so bored this past weekend, and it was great. Every year I volunteer to backpack into the desert mountains of Southern California, sit in one spot for 3 full days, and count all of the Bighorn Sheep that I see. There's typically a total of an hour of excitement each day, and the rest is just sitting, staring at a mountainside. No cell reception, no human made structures visible, just two other people there with…

Could you share information on where/how to volunteer to do this?

Re: Being Bored Is Good

#25

Post by bored » Mon, Jul 08, 2019, 5:42 PM UTC

I condone this message

Re: Being Bored Is Good

#26

Post by daveslash » Mon, Jul 08, 2019, 5:47 PM UTC

ryanponce wrote: post #24

daveslash wrote: post #2

I was so bored this past weekend, and it was great. Every year I volunteer to backpack into the desert mountains of Southern California, sit in one spot for 3 full days, and count all of the Bighorn Sheep that I see. There's typically a total of an hour of excitement each day, and the rest is just sitting, staring at a mountainside. No cell reception, no human made structures visible, just two other people there with…

Could you share information on where/how to volunteer to do this?

This is a great KPBS piece from 3 years ago. https://www.kpbs.org/news/2016/jul/08/sheep-counting-anza-bo...

This is a great KQED piece from 2 years ago. https://www.kqed.org/news/11550455/volunteers-brave-extremes...

Edit: I'm happy to share and am available for further questions, but for anyone planning to visit the any parts of the Southern California desert during the summer, please please don't plan to go all out on your first visit. Please take a measured approach. For example: an overnight car-camping trip before you attempt a backpacking trip. When you're new to the summer-desert, plan on carrying one-gallon-per-person of water for a hike of any length, even if it's less than a mile; it can save your life if you unexpectedly get heat exhaustion when it's over 115F.

Edit II: To volunteer, e-mail AB.Sheepcount AT parks.ca.gov -- express your interest in the 2020 census and they'll put you on the mailing list. If you'd like more information, reply to this comment and we'll work out how to chat directly.

Re: Being Bored Is Good

#27

Post by baxtr » Mon, Jul 08, 2019, 5:55 PM UTC

A good advice from a friend: if you want to be bored again, read less HN. Good night.

Re: Being Bored Is Good

#28

Post by opportune » Mon, Jul 08, 2019, 5:57 PM UTC

stcredzero wrote: post #6

If it weren't for the crushing boredom of the suburbs when I was a child, I might not have learned how to program computers. I would never have thought so much about spaceships. The original Star Wars trilogy wouldn't have been nearly as cool to discover. I also play traditional music, though boredom wasn't part of my discovering that. However, silence was a big part of traditional music, in the past. You need empty…

Same here, I learned how to program because I was bored in highschool math and physics classes and realized most of the work was just applying an algorithm to some inputs.

I'm young enough to have had smartphones when I was in highschool... but I really do feel bad for younger kids these days now that their smartphones are so much better and the ecosystem is so much better, I can imagine they almost never have an opportunity to be bored. There really should be some sort of BASIC emulator that comes shipped with smartphones because smartphones don't really easily present an opportunity to start programming even though they're reasonably powerful devices

Re: Being Bored Is Good

#29

Post by 99052882514569 » Mon, Jul 08, 2019, 5:58 PM UTC

alexbanks wrote: post #23

Being trapped in a middle of nowhere town that didn't even have sidewalks, combined with the (mis)fortune of having parents that couldn't possibly care less what I spent my time on all gave me everything I have today. Without those thousands of hours on the internet and nothing better to do, I would not be where I am today.

Counterpoints to "being bored made me awesome" that spring to mind immediately:

You would be in a different place, and whether it's better or worse is unknowable.

For every person inspired to greatness (or okayness) by boredom, there is someone driven to drug addiction by boredom.

Re: Being Bored Is Good

#30

Post by ssully » Mon, Jul 08, 2019, 5:59 PM UTC

asdfman123 wrote: post #18

superhuzza wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would argue that totally depends on the books and the twitter threads that you're reading! It took me a long time to realize that if a book wasn't interesting or enjoyable, I could just...stop. With twitter it's a bit mentally easier to just close the browser.

I find books are every bit as enjoyable. The problem is the first 30-50 pages are usually a slog, before I hit my "activation energy" and really get into it (or realize I don't like it). When I was less distracted, the slog was easier.

I use to try and push through the slog, but now I determine why I am reading the book and if it's worth continuing. I've stopped reading multiple books this year to go on to something I enjoy more and it's been fantastic. I used to feel obligated to finish every book I started, but realized that some books are just not worth it. I suppose the same could be said for a lot of things in life.