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Why boredom is interesting
Boredom is a powerful emotion, one which many of us will go to lengths to avoid. In this edition of the Why Factor, Sandra Kanthal asks why boredom is actually quite interesting.
Boredom is a powerful emotion, one which many of us will go to lengths to avoid. Psychologists describe its purpose as trying to get us to do something else. Boredom can spur us on to do something more meaningful, or tempt us into dangerous behaviours. In this edition of the Why Factor, Sandra Kanthal talks with researchers who think boredom is anything but boring.
Image: A bored woman behind a rainy window in a tram, (c) Getty Images.
Last on
Mon 20 May 201908:06GMT
BBC World Service East and Southern Africa & East Asia only
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Does everyone get bored?
Duration: 01:32
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- Mon 20 Aug 201812:32GMTBBC World Service except News Internet
- Mon 20 Aug 201821:06GMTBBC World Service except News Internet
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- Mon 13 May 201921:06GMTBBC World Service
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- Mon 20 May 201908:06GMTBBC World Service East and Southern Africa & East Asia only
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The Why Factor
The extraordinary and hidden histories behind everyday objects and actions




