An inability to get easily bored may be racially distributed. Peter Frost discusses studies that show Asians are less monotony averse than Europeans, and this trait likely evolved from selection pressures created by rice farming. Probably related to this race difference in boredom avoidance, Chinese infants show a greater toleration to disturbance than do White infants.
A tolerance for boredom seems a prerequisite for diligence and studiousness. People who bore easily can’t sit still long enough to imbibe pages and pages of information. They have trouble finding personal satisfaction in rote learning. Conscientious students are often also risk averse and, less charitably, dull. But boy are they good at doing their homework and maximizing their GPAs.
In the context of modern credentialist society, a high tolerance for boredom is beneficial. Restlessness isn’t a trait of a good globocorporate cog. But boredom toleration can go too far, culminating as an inert…
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