Boredom Series — Episode 9 | 10

There are mornings when nothing seems to have any flavor. No depression in the clinical sense of the term: you get up, you function, you accomplish what is expected of you. But something has withdrawn: a certain capacity to find things important, interesting, worthy of effort.

A vague feeling that all of this, in the end, doesn't really matter. What you are describing is perhaps not boredom in the ordinary sense. It is perhaps what philosophers have called existential boredom and what this tradition considers to be one of the most revealing experiences of human existence.

Heidegger and Deep Boredom: When the World Withdraws

In his 1929-1930 lecture, Heidegger devotes long pages to boredom. Not as a problem to be solved, but as a fundamental mood that reveals something essential about the human condition.

Deep boredom is the state in which all reality withdraws: objects lose their interest, activities their meaning, people their appeal. It is not sadness: there is no object of loss. It is not anxiety: there is no danger. It is a form of neutralization of the world, as if an invisible veil rendered it beyond reach.

What Heidegger sees in this boredom is a paradoxical liberation: by suspending interest in all usual occupations, it reveals that we are not reducible to these occupations. It opens the question: who am I when I am no longer defined by what I do, what I produce, what is expected of me?

Boredom and Life Transitions

Contemporary psychology confirms this philosophical reading through another lens: major life transitions.

Retirement, job loss, children leaving home, a breakup, illness, bereavement: these moments are almost invariably accompanied by a form of existential boredom. These transitions call into question the structures that usually gave meaning: roles, routines, senses of belonging, projects.

This state is uncomfortable. It is also, in many cases, the necessary prerequisite for a reconstruction of identity. Adult development psychology shows that periods of questioning often precede important reorganizations of the sense of self... provided they are moved through rather than avoided.

Meaning as an Antidote... with Its Limits

Faced with the existential void, the temptation is strong to grab onto anything apparently meaningful: a radical ideological commitment, a fusional relationship, a compulsive activity, an absolute conviction.

These responses to the void have in common that they close the question rather than move through it.

The philosophical tradition (both Heidegger and Camus or Sartre) suggests something more difficult: that meaning is not found, it is constructed. And that this construction can only begin on the condition of staying with the question for a moment, without closing it prematurely.

Boredom as a Starting Point

Existential boredom is not a terminal state. It is a state of transition.

Mihály Csikszentmihalyi (I tried to read him and gave up, let's call him Mihály), who theorized the flow state, places boredom at the opposite of optimal engagement: too little challenge for the available skills. But this mismatch is not a condemnation, it is information. Boredom says something about what we are capable of doing and what we are actually doing.

The question is not "how to find the desire again?" It is: "desire for what, ultimately?"

These two questions lead to very different answers. It is often the second one that allows us to rise above the void.

What It Changes in Practice

If you are going through a period of existential boredom associated with a major life transition, resisting the temptation to resolve it immediately through action or keeping busy can be worthwhile. Giving yourself time to observe (keeping a journal, talking about it to a trusted person, consulting a professional) often allows a better understanding of what this void is trying to say.

Reflective writing* is an accessible tool for navigating periods of existential void. It does not require any particular skills, it simply demands time and consistency.

If the feeling of emptiness and loss of meaning is accompanied by deep sadness, an inability to feel pleasure, or thoughts related to death or despair, a consultation with a doctor or psychiatrist is essential. Existential boredom and depression can coexist, and depression requires help.

To Conclude

Existential boredom is one of the least well-received experiences of our time. In a culture that values enthusiasm and fulfillment, admitting to going through a void of meaning is almost a fault.

Yet, this void has value. It indicates that we are beings who need more than just occupation... who need meaning, connection, horizon. And it is precisely this requirement that makes us beings capable of transforming ourselves.

Next episode: Measuring your propensity for boredom: the BPS tool explained.

⚠ If the loss of meaning is intense and persistent, accompanied by dark thoughts or despair, do not stay alone with it. 3114 is the French national suicide prevention number, available 24/7 (please contact your local suicide prevention hotline if you are outside of France).

*Reflective writing consists of writing about an experience to draw meaning from it. It follows a simple movement: describe the facts, identify your feelings, question what was triggered, make connections with your reference points or experiences, and then draw paths for adjustment. In a few lines, it allows you to step back and refine your understanding.