“Vronsky meanwhile, in spite of the complete fulfilment of what he had so long desired, was not completely happy. He soon felt that the realization of his longing gave him only one grain of the mountain of bliss he had anticipated. That realization showed him the eternal error men make by imagining that happiness consists in the gratification of their wishes. (…) Soon he felt rising in his soul a desire for desires—boredom. Involuntarily he began to snatch at every passing caprice, mistaking it for a desire and a purpose.” -Leo Tolstoy (Anna Karenina)
I love Tolstoy’s characterization of boredom as a desire for desires. It’s a state we rarely find ourselves in these days as there’s always a screen to remove us from our ennui. Boredom is an uncomfortable good, I believe. That desire for desires moves us toward action. Good. Move out of an endless ennui and into a search for purpose, meaning, flow. The chasing of the feeling of happiness will lead ultimately to restlessness, discontent, and yes, boredom. Let boredom arrive. Chase meaning when it does.
BUILT TO LEAD 