Boredom isn’t a bug—it’s a feature. Harvard professor Arthur C. Brooks explains why boredom unlocks creativity, activates a powerful brain network, and might even protect you from depression. Learn how the mind wanders—and why that’s a very good thing. For more insights on leadership, success, and workplace well-being, explore Arthur's new book, "The Happiness Files", a curated selection of essays from his popular column in The Atlantic: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F4MFQ6VN You can also sign up to receive Arthur’s new six-week newsletter, “The Leader’s Happiness Reset.” It includes excerpts from his new book along with insights and guidance on how to find happiness at work, for yourself and for your team: https://hbr.org/email-newsletters. More by Arthur Brooks: https://arthurbrooks.com/ Books, tools, and more: store.hbr.org Follow us: https://hbr.org/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/harvard-business-review/ https://www.facebook.com/HBR/ https://twitter.com/HarvardBiz https://www.instagram.com/harvard_business_review Sign up for Newsletters: https://hbr.org/email-newsletters #HarvardBusinessReview #YourCareer #Career #Job #Work #Business #Harvard #HarvardBusinessSchool Copyright © 2024 Harvard Business School Publishing. All rights reserved.
当人们感到无聊时，大脑中的“默认模式网络”（Default Mode Network, DMN）会被激活，这个网络会引导我们去思考如“我的人生的意义是什么？”这类深刻的、存在主义的问题。然而，正因为这些问题会带来轻微的心理不适，我们本能地想要逃避无聊。哈佛大学的实验甚至表明，许多人宁愿选择承受痛苦的电击，也不愿安静地独处15分钟。智能手机成为了我们消除所有碎片化无聊的完美工具，但这切断了DMN的激活，使我们陷入了“意义的厄运循环”：越是逃避无聊，就越难找到人生意义，这进而加剧了当代社会抑郁症和焦虑症的爆发。演讲者呼吁我们主动拥抱无聊，将其视为一种需要练习的“技能”，并给出了具体的建议，如在通勤或锻炼时完全不使用电子设备，以及分享他自己的“数字戒断”习惯，以帮助我们重新挖掘生活的意义并变得更快乐。