General Boredom is for Idiots

General Boredom is for Idiots

Our regular state
We often get a sense of boredom, either in general or with something particular.

It is of course natural to get bored sometimes of a specific reality, for human beings were built for diversity, change, progression, varied tasks and numerous spheres of life. It is abnormal to desire continual occupation with a trivial or monotonous task. Life though, is not just one fixed state of activity.

Life is characterised by hundreds of regular tasks and an uncountable amount of possibilities. So no-one could genuinely state that life is the performance of one tedious activity, as life consists of millions of states, activities and experiences. However, a frozen state of mind can create the illusion of uniformity and continuity.

If we don't pay attention to details, if we don't pay attention to the environment, if we don't take note of change, if we don't look in different directions, then we can miss the show of transformation and diversity in operation surrounding us.

Boredom has its benefits
We could have no sense of boredom unless we had a sense of joy, happiness and excitement. Our occasional or even regular boredom is a proof that life is not exclusively boring and that we are often not bored. As seeing as we know these things, we have experienced them and most likely, on some regular basis.

A sense of boredom can cause a person to analyse their own thoughts, to look introspectively and extract some elements of stagnation or blindness to be operated upon and mended.

Boredom can cause a person to explore other dimensions in order to cure his boredom. Exploration increases knowledge and wisdom is gained upon its diverse winding paths.

Boredom can be the psychological breaking system that prevents the car crashing into the walls of dull and docile activity or derails the mind from the tracks of stasis before the train terminates in the dungeons of decrepitude.

General boredom is a deficiency of perspective
Now what of a person who is in a state of prolonged boredom or general boredom? Bored by almost everything and most of the time? Firstly, such a person may have the wrong impression about life, simply considering it to be some joyride, a platform solely for entertainment. Secondly, it indicates an absence of deep thought and realistic judgement.

Life is in fact full of responsibilities and a narrowing window of time to fulfil these responsibilities, so life a panic? Yes, but boring? No. Is it reasonable to have concern about many issues, anger about many things? Indeed these feelings make sense, but a prolonged state of boredom? No, there is something wrong with the thinking process or absence of it, if that is the case.

The one who is bored is perhaps not impressed by the natural surroundings and that indeed is an unthinking position to adopt, it's an opinion indicative of stupidity. Who but an idiot can not be impressed with the sun, moon, stars, clouds, mountains and trees? Who can not be impressed with the human body, animals and insects? Even if an insect or animal annoys you, you still can't fail to be impressed by the existence of these creatures. A fly can be a few millimetres or smaller yet it is a fully functional complex living machine. Who can not be impressed by the human body and all its organs and systems? Who can not be impressed by consciousness, that we are aware of ourselves, our thoughts, feelings, desires, goals and intentions and amazed that we possess those things in the first place?

We know that many are not impressed by these things, but that surely is only because they are not thinking about them. Therefore, when boredom raises its negative head, let us kill it with reflection and deep thought.

General boredom is a problem as it is a type of negative state that veers towards ingratitude. A state of ingratitude will lead to other negative states and feelings. If we nip that in the bud and call to mind our blessings, inward and outward, then we can instead start the train of positive feeling, positive thought and positive action.

In reality this world is full of wonder and enjoyment for all the senses, there are oceans of things we benefit from and enjoy everyday and throughout our lives.

It is reported by A'bdullah ibn A'mru that the prophet Muhammad said:-

 “The world is an enjoyment...”
(MUSLIM, NASAA'I, IBN MAAJAH)

Boredom can lead to disastrous consequences
One of the reasons some people turn to narcotics is 'boredom,' hence the term 'recreational drugs.'

Bored of reality, so turn to an alternate artificial or chemically adjusted state to turn off the perceived boredom of the real world. But the real world is still there, but under the influence of drugs we can no longer judge it accurately, sense its dangers or properly enjoy its treasures.

Some people get bored so they start to entertain themselves at the expense of others. For their amusement they will harm others, directly or indirectly. This can lead to much distress and oppression in a community, family or relationship and it can escalate so people seek revenge or retribution for the harm inflicted on them. Eventually, you have a war zone or state of chaos, all triggered by some people who got bored because of their own stupidity and sought a stupid means to remove their boredom.

Man needs entertainment
A person can not continuously occupy themselves with noble pursuits, important tasks and deep thoughts. I sometimes feel like we are all children whose bodies have outgrown our small intellects too fast. Our character and behaviour did not not catch up with our physiology, or maybe that is just me.

People enjoy entertainment. We like to play games, hear jokes, watch performances, listen to and nice and interesting things. We naturally are motivated and stimulated by things, people and events which bring joy and happiness. It is a relief to engage in activities which don't have serious consequences after failure. It's soothing to engage in an activity that doesn't take much thought or preparation. But too much of a trivial activity creates guilt within us because we know deep down there are important things to be thought about and done. 
 

“A little enjoyment in this world! And then, to Us will be their return...”
(QURA'N Yoonus [Jonah] 10:70)

And too much of a thing, especially with the awareness of it not benefiting much, becomes a drag. The activities which we engage in to remove boredom can themselves become boring if we exceed the limits with them.

The world and life is not just for entertainment, but it does possess many entertainments that can be harmlessly engaged in. But we should not lose sight ever of the greater picture and not lose sight of the ultimate purpose ingrained in the fabric of the universe.
 

“We have not created the heavens and the earth

 and all that is between them  in mere idle play.” 

(QURAN ad Dukhaan [The Smoke] 44:38)

Our Work should be our passion
People get bored in the workplace and engaging in long hours of work that is not enjoyed can be depressing and stressful. The cure for this is engaging in work we enjoy. We should should choose career paths related to our interests, things that are in accordance with our outlook on life, things that synchronize with our personalities.

If your work is something you enjoy, then you wont see it as work.

If we can not do work that we are passionate about, then we should at least try and do work that we are good at due to our personal abilities and talents. In this way, work will not be so torturous. While engaging in such work found easy, it can allow us to think about other things and not feel enslaved.

This though is not for all people, some people may want to feel challenged mentally or physically by their work and they need to be forced into exertion of abilities in order to remain awake and interested.

We don't have to be bored and we shouldn't be
If we are bored it is either because of our state of mind, our lack of knowledge or our lack of movement.

We can change our state of mind any time we want. We can choose the things we think about and how deeply we think about them, we can change the angles from which we think. So if we don't do this, it is our fault. We can change our thought about the same matter so that our judgement moves from 'boring' to 'interesting'.

If we are ignorant of the significance of something or its diverse paths of exploration, then we can increase this by knowledge from those who have travelled before or by treading these paths ourselves. In general, we have not been shackled to the ground, although we may sometimes perceive we have, again by lack of thought.

If we do not engage in different activities then we can not expect to enjoy the scenes of diverse experience. If we don't want to become part of the furniture or a blind statue, then we should move and remind ourselves we are alive and that will open our eyes and awaken our inward vision.

Do we have time to be bored? Do we not have the motivation to be occupied, to be thinking, to be analytical, to be searching and researching? There are too many things to be done, too many problems to be solved and too many blessings to enjoy and be thankful for. Sometimes we may eat like cattle, mechanically and monotonously but we should savour the moments. We should slow down our consumption and taste before we swallow. Life is something to be tasted and not wasted. But we shouldn't become gluttons eating ourselves to death and we shouldn't drink every poison that is offered to us.

So after all this, someone may ask me “Do you get bored?” My answer is... Yes sometimes, but only when I'm being an idiot and not thinking.

People are like Cheese – Different colours, flavours, sizes, textures and some more mature than others.

People are like Cheese – Different colours, flavours, sizes, textures and some more mature than others.

I am someone who likes to speak, think and see in analogies. I am inwardly awakened with metaphors, similes and symbols. I think this is due to the religious influences in my childhood such as the Biblical parables attributed to Jesus and after my conversion to Islam, the many parables found in the Qura'n. But it also maybe because I am easily confused with words and my child-like mind is more comfortable with pictures.

As human beings, we learn how to see a picture before we can construct a sentence or understand it. Words can give accuracy and clarity but a picture can make us see something more in context and gives us more than one dimension to a reality.

An analogy allows us to see a concept by means of representing it with something more familiar or easier to digest. We can tailor the presentation of an idea to a particular audience. By a common thread we link the reality to its analogical equivalent so we derive an underlying lesson.

However, an allegory or parable is also a sophisticated means of exposition, as unlike defining something specifically and narrowly by explicit words, an allegorical representation opens the audience to think. This opens the field of exploration, reflection, commentary and interpretation. It can allow for more discussion and deeper derived principles. Another sophisticated use of allegory is that its inherent cryptic nature allows it to be communicated esoterically to an enlightened audience while concealing its meaning from the majority who do not think deeply and who do not study widely. Ambiguity can be a cloak for the conveyor and an encrypted message to those of sophisticated vision.

I am now beginning to regret that this analysis of the mysterious and intellectual topic of analogies has been placed into an article that I have entitled 'People are like cheeses...' But I don't plan these articles, I have seedling ideas and let them grow on their own as I type.

So now onto cheese and people. When I was younger, I didn't like many cheeses, I found the blues and green veins and hard rinds unappealing and the considered mould in food repulsive. I didn't like the idea of something strong, bitter or with unfamiliar colours. I stayed away from even trying such cheeses when I was younger. But then again, such cheeses were not eaten by the adults in my house to my knowledge. By the way, the cheeses in that photograph are Mature Cheddar, Sage Derby, Blue Shropshire, Chaource and Bavarian Blue Brie.

If I look back to my taste in people, then I am not sure whether it was wider or narrower. I know my preference in women back in those days was a lot narrower. Now as long as they can be scientifically verified as female and technically alive, there is a good chance they might meet my criteria. Some call that a maturing appreciation of diverse attributes, while others wrongly classify it as desperation, but then again, a desperate and deluded person might say that.

I am certain that my appreciation of many things has increased greatly as I have grown older. I remember being dismissive of many things as a youngster. Some tastes I had back then I can not even understand. Some things I turned away from in my past that I would accept with much enthusiasm and excitement today. I guess back then I was like a bland cheese with little taste and texture, but perhaps a shiny new shell or maybe it was just plastic packaging choking me and blurring my vision.

One thing is clear, it takes all sorts to make a world. Variety prevents us from boredom and we learn different things from meeting different people even if we differ with and dislike some of them.

“And among His signs are the creation of the heavens and the earth

and the differences in your languages and colours.

Verily in that are signs for those who know.”

(QURA'N ar Room [The Romans] 30:22)

My taste in cheese has changed dramatically as I have 'grown up'. I am now excited to try cheeses of varying colour, taste, texture, process, origin and maturity. When I am tasting such cheeses I can pretend I am a connoisseur, raising my standards by raising my tastes. Perhaps I see that in widening the vision in one issue it encourages the vision to be expanded in all issues. If I can elevate my class in cheese then I can elevate my my class in general, the cheese being a microcosm of life itself.

An interesting thing about cheese is that it suffocates in plastic, a manufactured, chemical, unnatural covering damages it. The cheese deteriorates quickly, People also deteriorate quickly if they are not allowed to breathe, if they wear a false shell or if an unnatural environment suppresses them. When we are forced to be other than ourselves outwardly our real inward self can become estranged, lost or diminished.

Some cheeses are hard and some are soft. Some people are soft, giving way to all pressures around them and some people are hard, no flexibility and only breaking if the situation doesn't fit their shape.

In one respect people are not like cheese. How many people can you rely on? How many people do you know who you can trust in all the most important areas? We live in a time of many people accepting the norms that have been artificially manufactured and not too many people opposing the trend. Most people are happy to go along and support those ideas and mechanisms that enslave us all and contribute to much misery.

This is the state of most of the people, a lie can not sustain itself, it needs people to initiate, carry, maintain and distribute it along with a whole load of people to believe it, that is, if it is one of those dominant lies. Cheeses on the other hand, you can rely on most of them to be cheese and most of them are quite good, even if we have our different preferences concerning them. But I am not a cheese expert and I do have an accommodating view, so perhaps an expert cheese maker could tell us that most cheeses are not that good. He may tell us that the vast majority of cheese that is consumed is mass manufactured, cheaply made, characterless, tasteless and only produced due to the low standards of the masses who maintain its demand. Or without putting direct blame on the masses, the low quality cheese is all the impoverished can afford in an economy where they are forever in debt to a few people they have not seen, while they themselves do all the work so that a few people can eat expensive artisan cheese. It seems that we get the cheese we deserve just as we get the society we deserve. If we have immature ideas and judgements then the results will be like one big immature cheese, not holding its shape and melting quite easily.

Another way in which this the cheese may mimic the masses is that so much cheese ends up wasted and in the garbage. But an immature cheese is nowhere near as distasteful and detrimental as an immature person.

A'bdullah ibn U'mar reported that the Prophet Muhammad said

“People are like a hundred camels

among which you hardly find any suitable camel to ride.”

(BUKHAARI, MUSLIM)

We don't look up enough - When our vision hits the ground

We don't look up enough - When our vision hits the ground

We live in the digital age, the cyber age and the age of mass depression. We are used to hearing bad news personally and globally. Every time we make a personal effort to make change we immediately become aware of obstacles plotting to prevent our growth and success, these tests quickly can allow us to drop our heads and our vision.

When our vision is aimed at the ground our sight reaches less than our own height, or not much longer (unless we are looking to the horizon, but that wouldn't exactly be looking down, unless we are in an air balloon or on a mountain or something).

People of the past who were not so polluted by their own machinery had a dynamic relationship with the sky. They used the celestial bodies not only for navigation, but also for telling the time and the seasons but also their place in the cosmos, spiritually and psychologically.

“Blessed be He Who has placed in the heaven mansions of the stars, and has placed therein a great lamp 

and a moon giving light!” (QURA'N al Furqaan [The Criterion] 25:61)

When we look to the moon and stars we not only see a dazzling display of beauty but a reminder of the order and greatness that surrounds us in the universe. When we are surrounded by the sight of greatness and order, it can help us to align our minds with the aspiration for great actions and an ordered and purposeful life.

If we had never seen the moon before and we were to view it for the first time it would be an amazing sight, which would surely inspire deep thoughts and powerful feelings. Yet we are in the time when we see people with their gazes aimed downwards at their smartfones or busily texting some irrelevance to their friends who probably direct their mind into a trivial place.

"Behold! in the creation of the heavens and the earth, 

and the alternation of night and day,  

there are indeed signs for men of understanding." 

(QURA'N aali I'mraan 3:190)

We are used to being tuned into the noise on the ground rather than the tranquillity of the heavens and thus our attention lowers our mood. 

When we expand our vision by looking upwards air fills the lungs, the universe expands and we escape the prison of our own misdirection. 

What may we see up there? The moon, the stars, a constellation, a tremendous cloud, a beautiful sunset, a majestic lightning display, a soaring free bird, a tall noble tree, or a shooting star or man-made satellite, a sign of human advancement, providing us with television because some men decided to look up rather than down?

"Men who celebrate the praises of God, standing, sitting, 

and lying down on their sides, 

and contemplate the (wonders of) creation in the heavens and the earth,  

(With the thought): 

"Our Lord! Not for nothing have You created (all) this! 

Glory to You!..." (QURAN aali I'mraan 3:191)