Why We Should Let Ourselves Be Bored

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1. 01Let Yourself Be Bored

   Good afternoon, everyone. When was the last time you were truly bored? No phone, no music, nothing to do. For most of us, it's hard to remember. Today, I'd like to make an unusual recommendation: let yourself be bored.

   大家下午好。你上一次真正感到无聊是什么时候？没有手机，没有音乐，什么事也没有。对我们大多数人来说，这很难想起来。今天，我想提一个不寻常的建议：允许自己无聊。

2. 02We Avoid Our Own Thoughts

   Think about it. While waiting for a train, standing in line, or even walking to the kitchen, many of us reach for our phones. We fill every empty moment.

   想一想。等火车的时候、排队的时候，甚至走去厨房的时候，我们很多人都会拿起手机。我们把每一个空闲的时刻都填满了。

3. 03A Surprising Experiment

   In 2014, researchers led by Timothy Wilson published a famous study in the journal Science. They asked people to sit alone in a room, with nothing to do, for up to fifteen minutes. The only thing they could do was press a button to give themselves a mild electric shock.

   2014年，由蒂莫西·威尔逊带领的研究团队在《科学》杂志上发表了一项著名的研究。他们让参与者独自坐在一个房间里，什么都不做，时间最长十五分钟。他们唯一能做的，就是按下一个按钮，给自己一次轻微的电击。

   Source: Wilson et al., "Just think: The challenges of the disengaged mind," Science (2014)

4. 04The Results

   Even though these participants had said earlier they would pay money to avoid the shock, sixty-seven percent of the men and twenty-five percent of the women shocked themselves at least once. Many preferred pain to sitting quietly with their thoughts.

   尽管这些参与者之前说过，愿意花钱来避免被电击，但仍有百分之六十七的男性和百分之二十五的女性至少电击了自己一次。很多人宁愿忍受疼痛，也不愿安静地与自己的想法独处。

   Source: Wilson et al., "Just think: The challenges of the disengaged mind," Science (2014)

5. 05Why Boredom Can Be Good

   So why would I recommend boredom? From my own experience, my best ideas come when my mind has space to wander, in the shower, on a walk, or staring out of a train window. When every moment is filled, that space disappears.

   那我为什么还要推荐无聊呢？根据我自己的经验，我最好的点子都是在大脑有空间漫游的时候出现的，比如洗澡时、散步时，或者望着火车窗外的时候。当每一刻都被填满，这种空间就消失了。

6. 06"But Boredom Is Unpleasant"

   You might say, "But boredom feels bad." That's true, and the experiment shows it. But like exercise, it feels uncomfortable at first and gets easier with practice.

   你可能会说：“可是无聊的感觉很糟糕。”没错，那个实验也证明了这一点。但就像运动一样，一开始会不舒服，多练习就会变得容易。

7. 07How to Practice

   Here's how to start. Take one short walk a day without your phone. When you're waiting in line, just wait. And try ten quiet minutes a day with no input at all.

   下面是开始的方法。每天不带手机散一小会儿步。排队的时候，就只是等待。再试试每天安静十分钟，不接收任何信息。

8. 08Conclusion

   To sum up, many of us find our own thoughts hard to sit with. But giving our minds some empty space can be a gift. This week, let yourself be bored, and see what ideas appear. Thank you.

   总结一下，我们很多人都很难与自己的想法独处。但给大脑留一些空白，可能是一份礼物。这个星期，让自己无聊一下，看看会冒出什么想法吧。谢谢大家。