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.

   大家午安。你上一次真正感到無聊是什麼時候？沒有手機，沒有音樂，什麼事也沒有。對我們大多數人來說，這很難想起來。今天，我想提一個不尋常的建議：允許自己無聊。

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。等火車的時候、排隊的時候，甚至走去廚房的時候，我們很多人都會拿起手機。我們把每一個空閒的時刻都填滿了。

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·威爾遜帶領的研究團隊在《科學》雜誌上發表了一項著名的研究。他們讓參與者獨自坐在一個房間裡，什麼都不做，時間最長十五分鐘。他們唯一能做的，就是按下一個按鈕，給自己一次輕微的電擊。

   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.

   儘管這些參與者之前說過，願意花錢來避免被電擊，但仍有百分之六十七的男性和百分之二十五的女性至少電擊了自己一次。很多人寧願忍受疼痛，也不願安靜地與自己的想法獨處。

   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.

   那我為什麼還要推薦無聊呢？根據我自己的經驗，我最好的點子都是在大腦有空間漫遊的時候出現的，比如洗澡時、散步時，或者望著火車窗外的時候。當每一刻都被填滿，這種空間就消失了。

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.

   你可能會說：「可是無聊的感覺很糟糕。」沒錯，那個實驗也證明了這一點。但就像運動一樣，一開始會不舒服，多練習就會變得容易。

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.

   下面是開始的方法。每天不帶手機散一小會兒步。排隊的時候，就只是等待。再試試每天安靜十分鐘，不接收任何資訊。

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.

   總結一下，我們很多人都很難與自己的想法獨處。但給大腦留一些空白，可能是一份禮物。這個星期，讓自己無聊一下，看看會冒出什麼想法吧。謝謝大家。