 Bertrand Russell Quotes 366 |
We are less bored than our ancestors were, but we are more afraid of boredom. ... As we rise in the social scale the pursuit of excitement becomes more and more intense. Those who can afford it are perpetually moving from place to place, carrying with them as they go gaiety, dancing and drinking, but for some reason always expecting to enjoy these more in a new place. Those who have to earn a living get their share of boredom, of necessity, in working hours, but those who have enough money to be freed from the need of work have as their ideal a life completely freed from boredom.
Source: Bertrand Russell: The Conquest of Happiness, 1930, chap.4:Boredom and excitement.
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Today's world is full of stimulation and excitement, and there is less boredom than in the past. Those who can afford it are able to pursue a life filled with such stimulation and excitement. However, there is a big difference between a life of daily personal growth experiences and creative production and a life of daily stimulation and excitement. It is pointed out that there are quite a few wealthy people who idealize the "life without boredom" (a life that only the aristocracy enjoyed in the past). Translated with DeepL.com (free version)