Paul Simon on the Hazards of Boredom

July 11, 2016 - PRLog -- I am worried about Paul Simon. After 61 years of making music, he's announced that retirement is imminent. With the litany of groundbreaking music he's released, I acknowledge that Simon deserves to go out on his own terms. My concerns are centered on whether he has sufficient interests to fill his time, because as it turns out, boredom is dangerous.

New research published in the European Journal of Social Psychology has found that "boredom puts people on edge: It makes them seek engagements that are challenging, exciting, and that offer a sense of purpose." Couple this with the research where boring activities generate a sense of meaninglessness, and you end up with a less-than-favorable company culture.

When we are bored, there is a subconscious need to re-infuse meaningfulness into our lives. This re-infusion is not necessarily beneficial or constructive. In studies of binge eating, boredom is one of the most frequent triggers, along with feelings of depression and anxiety. It can lead to driving accidents, illegal drug use, political extremism, and an increased risk of mistakes. There is even research showing that boredom accounts for 25% of student achievement, the same percentage attributed to innate intelligence.

Accordingly, boredom can have detrimental affects on your workplace. Bored people...

Read more at: www.leadersayswhat.com/2016/07/paul-simon-on-the-hazards-of-boredom