On Boredom

[Image by Piyapong Saydaung from Pixabay]

A very kind and knowledgeable Catholic vlogger posted a short video on what he believes to be the cause of boredom, claiming that people become bored with the pleasures of this world. His bottom-line declaration: "Imagine not knowing the Gospel affirmation that we are created by God and for God. What would life be like? Would it not be a desperate and continual pursuit of these only partial pleasures?"

I find his perspective quite unique, as I have never before met a person who felt bored with "the pleasures of this world", but rather, I have met a plethora of individuals who feel bored when experiencing the absence of "the pleasures of this world."

And unfortunately, even the majority of those who faithfully attend Sunday Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and believe, "We are created by God and for God," still choose to feel bored.

Why is that?

Most Christians do not believe that God is all Truth, Love, and Virtues. Most Christians do not actually live their daily lives for God. God is not truly the primary focus of their day...being entertained and making money are.

This vlogger's Socratic rhetorical attempt at what he concludes to be the result of not knowing that we are created by God and for God is, "Would it {life} not be a desperate and continual pursuit of these only partial pleasures?" Yet this is exactly what most Christians (Catholic or otherwise) do, even while knowing they are created by God and for God. We rationalize that we know and love God; then, after we leave work or school, we make our daily decisions primarily for personal enjoyment and pleasure, with or without others (children, spouse, or friends), above interacting with God. And yes, those priorities are disordered.

We rationalize and justify our "desperate and continual pursuit of partial pleasures" (usually consisting of TV and movie watching, video game playing and social media, alcohol consumption and/or smoking, and even seeking unedifying human attention) as a need to de-stress, relax, or enjoy ourselves—all of which are frequently primarily chosen as bad coping and become an idolatry.

There are too many Catholics who consider themselves very Christian while not making attendance at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, and the work of recognizing and healing all their sins (aka becoming a loving person) a frequent priority over "fun time," and other entertaining forms of "relaxation time" and "de-stress time".

After we die, we will realize too late that the former are far more important than the latter.

Furthermore, morally, theologically, and psychologically (yes, this is all one subject), the feeling or attitude of boredom reflects a lack of virtuousness related to disordered priorities and the selfish desire to be entertained. This is why people say, "Mass is boring," "Adoration is boring," and "Learning [Truth] is boring."

When someone says they are bored and is asked, "Bored compared to what?" they will usually answer with what they most desire to be amused or entertained by. This is especially a problem across all ages who immerse themselves in secular entertainment media and develop other forms of idolatrous attachments.

The minimum we need to do for ourselves when we feel or think we are bored is:

1. Repent to Jesus Christ of the bored feeling every time you experience it, and ask for His Graces, Virtues, Truth, and Love to replace it, and to show you His Truth about your boredom (we say, "I'm sorry" to Jesus for the feeling because we are making ourselves feel it by what we intellectually wrongly think, believe, expect, and desire). (Also do this for your negative feelings of stress, worry, fear, anxiety, panic, depression, hurt, feeling offended, frustration, anger, being upset, laziness, gluttony, lust, etc.)
2. Ask the Holy Spirit to make you self-aware of all your idolatrous attachments (Don’t think you have any? It is anything you make more important in any moment than God and seeking and obeying His Will).
3. Repent of each of them (personally tell God you are sorry and if Catholic sacramentally confess it) every time you actively engage in them, or even think about or desire them.
4. Ask God to show you how to completely replace each of them with God-centered coping.
5. Increase the amount of time and days you participate in the Sacraments: Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, and Confession.
6. Begin or increase praying the Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet, Stations of the Cross, along with Scripture reading and the writings of the saints.
7. Repent daily of pride, selfishness, and fear, and ask God to replace them with humility, wisdom, truth, knowledge, understanding, acceptance, trust in God, prudence, discernment, mercy, generosity, purity, chastity, courage, strength, fortitude, thankfulness/gratitude, faith, hope, and charity/love.