Interesting episode! Relating to poverty and boredom, I think what y'all we're talking about concerning the necessity of wasting time with mundane chores such as laundry or dishwashing pairs up nicely with (my understanding of) Foucault's theory of bureaucracy, wherein its function is to make the interaction with it as bothersome (and boring!) as possible, and if we take the traditional saying in economics that "it is expensive to be poor," I would add to that that it is expensive both in terms of money, and time. Additionally, I loved the Kierkegaard quote! The part on Renaissance melancholia and boredom actually made me think of Kierkegaard's seducer from Either/Or, and the way his aesthetic form of living is criticised widely for its aesthetic solutions to the more substantial, essential, problem to the Seducer of boredom (which he addresses by picking up "hobbies" and studying them extensively for short bursts).
It's a little surprising you guys didn't mention David Foster Wallace in this episode. He did a great deal of work on this subject. His work may not be categorized as hard-core philosophy, but I think he was onto something as well.
I think in regards to mundane activities like chores that it's up to us on how boring things are. When I go to laundromat each week I bring a sketchbook and sit in my car and listen to music or discussions, or go grocery shopping to be efficient with my time - dishes too, music or talks, plus these times are good times to reflect and explore inside.
Another really good episode. I guess I must be a supporter of the notion of a "universal income” e.g. paying a small wage to everyone as a social right so we can all get on with the real job ,of having a job, and contributing something to society. In the light of this episode where you refer to Kierkegaard' “plebeians they are boring, in the sense they bore other people, they don't seem particularly interesting, but the nobles are even worse because they bore themselves” and other things you touched on, etc,-do you have any thoughts on “universal income’ you would like to do an episode on?
Thanks for this idea! It's actually a topic we have on our (very long) episode ideas list, so we are thinking about doing on on it :) Our Productivity episode, while not discussing UBI directly, also gets into some of the ideas around our views on work and compensation
You both always do such a great service that means a lot to me. I am grateful for the whole episode as well as its ending on a note that we need to help our communities relieve boredom to make the world better. I don't have much to add except that I remember the literary critic, Harold Bloom saying that Frederich Nietzsche's character, Zarathustra is a "sublime bore." I think about why he said so. If Zarathustra, proclaiming God is dead, hails the Superman (ubermensch), does that mean that his high-falutin proclaiming of future sorts of people makes Zarathustra boring? I think Nietzsche got that way of future-person inventing from Ralph Waldo Emerson, whom he read, who spoke of the Central Man (or Woman) of the future, and who also prophesied that every American coming would be a Poet. Yet, Emerson is no bore. Marcel Proust also, I remember, has many bores as characters in =In Search of Lost Time=, but unlike Nietzsche, he meant to write them "as" bores. Nietzsche didn't intend Zarathustra to be one, so that makes for a parody. Thank you again for your gifts! 🎉
Great episode
Interesting episode! Relating to poverty and boredom, I think what y'all we're talking about concerning the necessity of wasting time with mundane chores such as laundry or dishwashing pairs up nicely with (my understanding of) Foucault's theory of bureaucracy, wherein its function is to make the interaction with it as bothersome (and boring!) as possible, and if we take the traditional saying in economics that "it is expensive to be poor," I would add to that that it is expensive both in terms of money, and time. Additionally, I loved the Kierkegaard quote! The part on Renaissance melancholia and boredom actually made me think of Kierkegaard's seducer from Either/Or, and the way his aesthetic form of living is criticised widely for its aesthetic solutions to the more substantial, essential, problem to the Seducer of boredom (which he addresses by picking up "hobbies" and studying them extensively for short bursts).
It's a little surprising you guys didn't mention David Foster Wallace in this episode. He did a great deal of work on this subject. His work may not be categorized as hard-core philosophy, but I think he was onto something as well.
I think in regards to mundane activities like chores that it's up to us on how boring things are. When I go to laundromat each week I bring a sketchbook and sit in my car and listen to music or discussions, or go grocery shopping to be efficient with my time - dishes too, music or talks, plus these times are good times to reflect and explore inside.
this is so wise and insightful
26:19 I believe Kant is referring to work as teleological positing, action idealized and acted upon intentionally by the self
Another really good episode. I guess I must be a supporter of the notion of a "universal income” e.g. paying a small wage to everyone as a social right so we can all get on with the real job ,of having a job, and contributing something to society. In the light of this episode where you refer to Kierkegaard' “plebeians they are boring, in the sense they bore other people, they don't seem particularly interesting, but the nobles are even worse because they bore themselves” and other things you touched on, etc,-do you have any thoughts on “universal income’ you would like to do an episode on?
Thanks for this idea! It's actually a topic we have on our (very long) episode ideas list, so we are thinking about doing on on it :) Our Productivity episode, while not discussing UBI directly, also gets into some of the ideas around our views on work and compensation
I'm a sensitive bored and privileged white man... I read catcher In the Rye... I think we all know where this is going
I am feeling boredom from many years......
You both always do such a great service that means a lot to me. I am grateful for the whole episode as well as its ending on a note that we need to help our communities relieve boredom to make the world better.
I don't have much to add except that I remember the literary critic, Harold Bloom saying that Frederich Nietzsche's character, Zarathustra is a "sublime bore." I think about why he said so. If Zarathustra, proclaiming God is dead, hails the Superman (ubermensch), does that mean that his high-falutin proclaiming of future sorts of people makes Zarathustra boring? I think Nietzsche got that way of future-person inventing from Ralph Waldo Emerson, whom he read, who spoke of the Central Man (or Woman) of the future, and who also prophesied that every American coming would be a Poet. Yet, Emerson is no bore.
Marcel Proust also, I remember, has many bores as characters in =In Search of Lost Time=, but unlike Nietzsche, he meant to write them "as" bores. Nietzsche didn't intend Zarathustra to be one, so that makes for a parody.
Thank you again for your gifts! 🎉
I think i relate to the primates in the experiment😅
😌
ironically boredom is interesting