According to Harvard professor Arthur Brooks, boredom is necessary for human flourishing and a practice we need to cultivate. He argues that our commitment to avoiding boredom at all costs is behind many of our worst habits, worst problems, and biggest anxieties. Brooks suggests that seeking times of stillness and quiet is essential for finding meaning in life, and that the default mode network in our brains, which is responsible for boredom, is being shut off by our constant use of screens.
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