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Full Idea
A certain power of enduring boredom is essential to a happy life, and is one of the things that ought to be taught to the young.
Gist of Idea
Happiness involves enduring boredom, and the young should be taught this
Source
Bertrand Russell (The Conquest of Happiness [1930], 4)
Book Ref
Russell,Bertrand: 'The Conquest of Happiness' [Unwin 1961], p.40
A Reaction
As an example he suggests that Wordsworth would never have written 'The Prelude' is he had never been bored when young. Which suggests that Russell doesn't really get boredom, seeing it merely as a stimulus to work.
| 20180 | A happy and joyous life must largely be a quiet life [Russell] |
| 20177 | Boredom always involves not being fully occupied [Russell] |
| 20179 | Happiness involves enduring boredom, and the young should be taught this [Russell] |
| 20176 | Boredom is an increasingly strong motivating power [Russell] |
| 20178 | Life is now more interesting, but boredom is more frightening [Russell] |