Thread by @chrissanders88

One of my research areas that I write about often is curiosity and how it manifests in infosec education and practice. A topic that relates to curiosity is Boredom, which I've done some recent reading on. I thought I'd share a bit about that. 1/

First, what is Boredom? A consensus definition is that boredom is the uncomfortable feeling of wanting to engage in satisfying activity without being able to do so. 2/

When you're bored, two things happen:
1. You want to do something but don't want to do anything.
2. You are not mentally occupied in a way that leverages your capacities or skills.

**these things feed each other** 3/

What are the signs of boredom?

1. Time drags on
2. We can't concentrate
3. Our activities feel pointless
4. We feel restless or tired

No surprises here. Most of us can relate to all these things. 4/

Danckert & Eastwood describe the Boredom Conundrum: "Boredom presents as a thorny dilemma. We want to do something, we have a desire to be engaged, but nothing we see on the horizon seems like a viable option to satisfy." 5/

There are lots of causes of boredom, both external (monotony, lack of purpose, etc) and internal (inability to apply attention, our situational emotions, self-control, etc.) It's usually a combination of many things. 6/

We mostly think about boredom in terms of a state, but some people are likely more prone to boredom for biological reasons. For example, folks with concentration/attention deficits report being bored more often. 7/

Now let's talk about how boredom relates to curiosity. There are a lot of ways! Most significant to me here is that both are described in terms of deprivation. That is, both are "signals" from which we desire to take action (not unlike pain). We seek relief from both. 8/

To avoid boredom, we seek things that are a good signal to noise balance. A situation is boring if it can only be understood in one way or we know everything about it. It can also be boring if we don't understand any of it and it's overly complex. 9/

A great example (again, Danckert and Eastwood), is playing Tetris. You would find boredom quickly if you only played at lvl 1 (always winning) or lvl 100 (always losing). The balance is somewhere in the middle and may vary per person. 10/

Similarly, curiosity flourishes in situations where we are equally likely to know or not know something. We need to know enough to be engaged, but not know so much that there is no information gap. 11/

When you consider that boredom and curiosity are "signals", you also have to consider that they may not inherently be good or bad on their own, but it is our response to them that defines their value. 12/

People who report more boredom are more likely to perform worse on job tasks, use harmful substances, and eat more. Boredom doesn't make folks do these things, but people often describe their choices as a product of boredom still. 13/

In a similar way, curiosity can lead to poor choices absent other mitigating instincts (like fear). Curiosity killed the cat, being the common phrase here. 14/

Of course, boredom and curiosity can both lead to all sorts of other positive things... both learning and action. 15/

People are likely to be bored more often adapt to their environment more easily than others in some cases and crave novelty. Curious people crave a similarly novelty to satisfy their desire to know more. 16/

A notable difference between the two... learning as a response to curiosity tends to leverage better strategies, whereas learning as a response to boredom lacks that. Motivation source probably comes into play here. 17/

While there isn't a ton of research on boredom and curiosity together, some indicates that they may be negatively correlated -- less bored/more curious and the opposite. I think there is a tremendous amount more work to be done here. 18/

All told, while we associate being bored with lots of negative things, the capacity to be bored presents opportunity to respond in productive ways. There's something to that. 19/

Danckert & Eastwood: "This is boredom’s irony. On the one hand it highlights the inherent meaninglessness of existence while on the other it propels us forward in a never-ending search for something fresh and meaningful—something we hope will satisfy." 20/

The relationship between boredom and curiosity is a fascinating one. Are they opposites? Does one lead to the other? What traits does each correlate to and how? A lot of great opportunity for exploration here. 21/

I used to get bored as a kid often. I hated it. I eventually came to fear boredom in some ways. I did not like an idle mind and sometimes felt trapped in it. That never really went away, although I feel more power over it as an adult with more agency. A lot to unpack there. 22/

This thread pulls from many sources, but if you want an accessible entry point into learning abt the psych boredom, start w/ Danckert & Eastwood's "Out of My Skull". A lot of science with sources, mostly clear distinction between observation and opinion, some philosophy. 23/23

If this thread bored you then at least maybe you understand why now. 😂 24/23