Consciously or not, every person longs for novelty; for something fresh and unfamiliar that will bring excitement into a monotonous existence. If that longing is not satisfied, dormant Boredom will awake and nag you.
It is a common ailment that can affect humans and animals alike. It silently creeps up on you and insidiously morphs people and animals into unhappy individuals.
Regardless how contented you are, some day soon you will feel bored, hankering for some novelty. It could be a new phone, a new car, a new job… a new surgery (ha ha ha) even a new relationship…
It does not mean that you don’t like your mate anymore. It simply means that you want to experience something different, something new to spice up an uneventful routine. This is the so-called mid-life crisis affecting mainly quadragenarians and described by the French as “le démon de midi” (middle-aged lust).
Novelty serves us for a kind of refreshment, and takes off from that satiety we are apt to complain of in our usual and ordinary entertainments. Joseph Addison
Just like children getting tired of their toys, grownups get bored with theirs. They need a steady stream of adrenaline shots to feel content. Some vacations can fill that void, but temporarily.
“Leave home, leave the country, leave the familiar. Only then can routine experience—buying bread, eating vegetables, even saying hello—become new all over again.” ― Anthony Doerr
Novelty is the antidote to boredom. One must acquire new toys on a regular basis to feel gratified and Amazon shrewdly tapped into that vein; it provides the perfect channel for that craving. You just have to click a button and kindly Uncle Amazon will oblige. No questions asked and it is much more efficient than Santa’s old routine. No letter to write and no anxious waiting period. You can satisfy your longing and play with your new toy within days.
The key to fend off Demon Boredom is planning ahead. One should always have something to look forward to. When I was skiing in France, I remember hearing French people already talking about their upcoming summer vacation.
That’s the way to do it. Plan your future like a D-Day operation. Every month storm a new beach… or a new restaurant.
If you are not careful, “le démon de midi” might creep into your home and wreck havoc with your quiet, happily boring life.
Alain