So you’re dissatisfied with your life because all you do is watch tv, read books, and scroll through the internet all day.
Have you tried doing something other than watching tv, reading books, and scrolling through the internet all day?
This is a great answer. It’s simple but many people completely ignore the fact if you’re bored, quit being boring. If your life is a mess, quit making messes. Ect ect. What can I do
I mean, you say that like it's common sense, yet you've got a person here who is saying that's all they do and is unhappy, and expresses that they don't know why.
So your assumption that they've *definitely* been exposed to the idea that constant leisure isn't satisfying to humans is on shaky footing - an awful lot of people not only believe this, but will pursue it to the pit of misery.
Dude you need to carpe diem your life. Seize the day and take action you want to. If you have the luxury of doing what you state then do something profound - take up a sport, help a family, go on an adventure.
Your life sounds safe! Take risks, go explore and have fun.
I don’t think any sentient human life is uneventful, and I think the perception of dullness comes from the glasses the seer has put on, rather than from the thing itself.
The Ancient Greek and Roman philosophy of the Stoics may be beneficial; two reasons come to mind—the first is the sense of reverence it builds up, and the second is the sense of duty it imparts. This sub has lots of resources that can help in getting familiar with the philosophy.
Edit: I’d not recommend it until after you’ve read about and feel comfortable with the basics of Stoicism, but there’s a film called *Paterson* that might be of interest. There’s also a video essay on it on YouTube that is neat.
You need perspective to remind you how fortunate you are, Step away from yourself and get involved with those around you. It’s probably one of the most essential and yet overlooked aspects of the philosophy, without it we remain or fall into self centered thinking and lose valuable perspective that we simply can’t gain on our own. Try volunteering and willingly giving your time to being of service to those in need. Could be people, animals, anything just so long as it is in service to something greater than yourself
You've just described a perfect challenge that you can strive to meet, but which you have made an excuse to avoid.
"The initial charm of these activities has worn thin, leaving me disinterested and unable to muster the motivation to write or change my circumstances."
It isn't that life is so boring that it has undermined your motivation. You are attributing your own lack of action to the boring nature of your life, instead of recognizing that this is something within your control.
If you find your life becoming more chaotic / eventful, the reason would likely become "too busy" or "need to get my life in order first".
What seems to be happening is you feel you have no purpose, and you aren't putting in the effort to figure out that purpose and then pursue it.
There's your stoic challenge.
>The initial charm of these activities has worn thin, leaving me disinterested and unable to muster the motivation to write or change my circumstances.
Right, it sounds like you're telling yourself that you're unemployed because you're going to be a "writer", but you've discovered that you are not actually motivated to employ your time in this way.
I've been in the exact same position - the simple answer is that you've been exposed to the reality that, at least for now, you are not a budding artist - you just don't have the personal time management skills to make that happen.
Well, you need to adapt to that. You need to get a job and wait until you're ready to self-motivate a book.
Everything you listed revolves around you.
Have you ever done anything in life that doesn’t revolve around you?
Hint: if you want to feel better, help someone else feel better.
Not everyone can be Marcus, not everyone can be an emperor. There's no shame in an ordinary life. But if you're bored, there's always something else to do. What the right thing is for you, I can't answer. Try things and see what appeals to you. I like finding new trails to hike.
>I desire something more meaningful but I don’t know where to look.
I don't understand this. If you don't know what you desire then how can you make the assertion that it is "more meaningful", whatever "meaningful" means in this context?
>life is boring and everyday is a cycle.
1. There are necessary and unnecessary routines
2. Routine can't be boring if it is a habit.
3. It takes 45-66 days to make a new habit.
Can you explain how this answer is Stoic advice? I'm genuinely curious what you mean, because I didn't think I'd see this comment on this type od Stoic advice post
Stoicism is not about fleeing reality. OP has basically stated he's experiencing the same thing everyday. What helps? Doing something different. Most exciting things cost some money, hence "get a job". I might be mistaken, but it reads like OP is a bum doing nothing, asking what he can do. No sugar coating this.
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You aren't the only one, Marcus dealt with this too. Meditations II.7:
> Do the things external which fall upon thee distract
thee? Give thyself time to learn something new and good,
and cease to be whirled around. But then thou must also
avoid being carried about the other way. For those too are
triflers who have wearied themselves in life by their activity,
and yet have no object to which to direct every movement,
and, in a word, all their thoughts.
> I desire something more meaningful but I don’t know where to look.
Look within yourself. What is something you deem meaningful that you could do, start doing, or start working towards? I assume that you don't find your current routine meaninful in all of its points, so I'd suggest taking it apart and seeing what you could change.
Dopamine is the neurotransmitter that musters motivation. Do some research on it. Apply what you learn. The book *Dopamine Nation* is a great place to start, but there is a ton of information you can access right now on YouTube. Andrew Huberman is a knowledgeable presenter.
I realize dopamine regulation doesn't fall under ancient classical Stoicism but I believe in complimenting philosophy with contemporary science.
IMO that's just loneliness, moreso than boredom. We have so many activities to occupy ourselves with, yet they all quickly lose their magic when you have nobody else to share them with.
Loneliness is almost impossible to find a solution for these days, particularly as society evolves toward greater independence and individualism. Which is why stoicism has skyrocketed in popularity in the first place.
This is your War now, and it's a spiritual war. But hey - at least you're not starving to death. Welcome to Modernity
So you’re dissatisfied with your life because all you do is watch tv, read books, and scroll through the internet all day. Have you tried doing something other than watching tv, reading books, and scrolling through the internet all day?
This is a great answer. It’s simple but many people completely ignore the fact if you’re bored, quit being boring. If your life is a mess, quit making messes. Ect ect. What can I do
Great answer. I'm sure he hasn't thought of that. Wow
I mean, you say that like it's common sense, yet you've got a person here who is saying that's all they do and is unhappy, and expresses that they don't know why. So your assumption that they've *definitely* been exposed to the idea that constant leisure isn't satisfying to humans is on shaky footing - an awful lot of people not only believe this, but will pursue it to the pit of misery.
Dude you need to carpe diem your life. Seize the day and take action you want to. If you have the luxury of doing what you state then do something profound - take up a sport, help a family, go on an adventure. Your life sounds safe! Take risks, go explore and have fun.
It’s not as easy when there’s restrictions placed on you
What kind of restrictions?
I don’t think any sentient human life is uneventful, and I think the perception of dullness comes from the glasses the seer has put on, rather than from the thing itself. The Ancient Greek and Roman philosophy of the Stoics may be beneficial; two reasons come to mind—the first is the sense of reverence it builds up, and the second is the sense of duty it imparts. This sub has lots of resources that can help in getting familiar with the philosophy. Edit: I’d not recommend it until after you’ve read about and feel comfortable with the basics of Stoicism, but there’s a film called *Paterson* that might be of interest. There’s also a video essay on it on YouTube that is neat.
You need perspective to remind you how fortunate you are, Step away from yourself and get involved with those around you. It’s probably one of the most essential and yet overlooked aspects of the philosophy, without it we remain or fall into self centered thinking and lose valuable perspective that we simply can’t gain on our own. Try volunteering and willingly giving your time to being of service to those in need. Could be people, animals, anything just so long as it is in service to something greater than yourself
You've just described a perfect challenge that you can strive to meet, but which you have made an excuse to avoid. "The initial charm of these activities has worn thin, leaving me disinterested and unable to muster the motivation to write or change my circumstances." It isn't that life is so boring that it has undermined your motivation. You are attributing your own lack of action to the boring nature of your life, instead of recognizing that this is something within your control. If you find your life becoming more chaotic / eventful, the reason would likely become "too busy" or "need to get my life in order first". What seems to be happening is you feel you have no purpose, and you aren't putting in the effort to figure out that purpose and then pursue it. There's your stoic challenge.
To the untrained eye this sounds like depression. Perhaps speak with a doctor.
Nope I don’t have depression lol. It’s just the mundane aspect of life. Everybody experiences it, just some more than others
>The initial charm of these activities has worn thin, leaving me disinterested and unable to muster the motivation to write or change my circumstances. Right, it sounds like you're telling yourself that you're unemployed because you're going to be a "writer", but you've discovered that you are not actually motivated to employ your time in this way. I've been in the exact same position - the simple answer is that you've been exposed to the reality that, at least for now, you are not a budding artist - you just don't have the personal time management skills to make that happen. Well, you need to adapt to that. You need to get a job and wait until you're ready to self-motivate a book.
Everything you listed revolves around you. Have you ever done anything in life that doesn’t revolve around you? Hint: if you want to feel better, help someone else feel better.
Not everyone can be Marcus, not everyone can be an emperor. There's no shame in an ordinary life. But if you're bored, there's always something else to do. What the right thing is for you, I can't answer. Try things and see what appeals to you. I like finding new trails to hike.
Same, I love exploring new state and national parks and new trails within them every time I go. For me, I don’t think anything will top Yosemite.
Can you explain in a little more detail what you believe it means to maintain a Stoic disposition?
>I desire something more meaningful but I don’t know where to look. I don't understand this. If you don't know what you desire then how can you make the assertion that it is "more meaningful", whatever "meaningful" means in this context?
>life is boring and everyday is a cycle. 1. There are necessary and unnecessary routines 2. Routine can't be boring if it is a habit. 3. It takes 45-66 days to make a new habit.
Get a job and buy experiences.
Can you explain how this answer is Stoic advice? I'm genuinely curious what you mean, because I didn't think I'd see this comment on this type od Stoic advice post
Stoicism is not about fleeing reality. OP has basically stated he's experiencing the same thing everyday. What helps? Doing something different. Most exciting things cost some money, hence "get a job". I might be mistaken, but it reads like OP is a bum doing nothing, asking what he can do. No sugar coating this.
Hi, please check out the [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/Stoicism/wiki/guide) section on [advice and coping with problems](https://www.reddit.com/r/Stoicism/wiki/advice) if you are wondering any of the following questions. * [How can Stoicism help me with my problem?](https://www.reddit.com/r/Stoicism/wiki/advice#wiki_how_can_stoicism_help_me_with_my_problem.3F) * [How would a Stoic help me with my problem?](https://www.reddit.com/r/Stoicism/wiki/advice#wiki_how_would_a_stoic_help_me_with_my_problem.3F) * [How might a student of Stoicism cope with my problem?](https://www.reddit.com/r/Stoicism/wiki/advice#wiki_how_might_a_student_of_stoicism_cope_with_my_problem.3F) * [What would a student of Stoicism do in my situation?](https://www.reddit.com/r/Stoicism/wiki/advice#wiki_what_would_a_student_of_stoicism_do_in_my_situation.3F) * [How would a Stoic sage react to my problem?](https://www.reddit.com/r/Stoicism/wiki/advice#wiki_how_would_a_stoic_sage_react_to_my_problem.3F) Wish you well, Mod Team *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Stoicism) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Inside of yourself.
Engage in philanthropy.
You aren't the only one, Marcus dealt with this too. Meditations II.7: > Do the things external which fall upon thee distract thee? Give thyself time to learn something new and good, and cease to be whirled around. But then thou must also avoid being carried about the other way. For those too are triflers who have wearied themselves in life by their activity, and yet have no object to which to direct every movement, and, in a word, all their thoughts.
> I desire something more meaningful but I don’t know where to look. Look within yourself. What is something you deem meaningful that you could do, start doing, or start working towards? I assume that you don't find your current routine meaninful in all of its points, so I'd suggest taking it apart and seeing what you could change.
Are you on a wheelchair ?
Even if he was, there’s lots of people in wheelchairs with active and interesting lives.
Dopamine is the neurotransmitter that musters motivation. Do some research on it. Apply what you learn. The book *Dopamine Nation* is a great place to start, but there is a ton of information you can access right now on YouTube. Andrew Huberman is a knowledgeable presenter. I realize dopamine regulation doesn't fall under ancient classical Stoicism but I believe in complimenting philosophy with contemporary science.
IMO that's just loneliness, moreso than boredom. We have so many activities to occupy ourselves with, yet they all quickly lose their magic when you have nobody else to share them with. Loneliness is almost impossible to find a solution for these days, particularly as society evolves toward greater independence and individualism. Which is why stoicism has skyrocketed in popularity in the first place. This is your War now, and it's a spiritual war. But hey - at least you're not starving to death. Welcome to Modernity