Re: USAGE: Words for "boredom"

> Date:         Mon, 17 Jun 2002 18:09:13 +0000
> From: Andreas Johansson <and_yo@...>
>
> At a wild guess, boredom might require the combination of free time
> and the idea that one ought to be productive all the time -
> something most likely to be found in industrial societies. But I
> want more evidence that the concept of boredom is unknown in
> pre-industrial societies before I quite believe that.
You are bored if you do not get to perform any activity that interests
you. In a modern society, there can be many reasons for that --- lack
of money, lack of time, lack of access, lack of knowledge, lack of
capability. Many of these didn't apply in earlier societies.

But even in a hunter-gatherer society, you can be laid up for a month
waiting for a cracked rib to mend. I'm sure it feels boring, but it's
possible that the need for a word is not felt.

Lars Mathiesen (U of Copenhagen CS Dep) <thorinn@...> (Humour NOT marked)

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