Against boredom the gods themselves fight in vain.
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer
To do the same thing over and over again is not only boredom: it is to be controlled by rather than to control what you do.
—Heraclitus (535BCE–475BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher
Only those who want everything done for them are bored.
—Billy Graham (1918–91) American Baptist Religious Leader
Boredom is always counter-revolutionary. Always.
—Guy Debord (1931–94) French Philosopher
A bore is a person who opens his mouth and puts his feats in it.
—Henry Ford (1863–1947) American Businessperson, Engineer
The man who suspects his own tediousness is yet to be born.
—Thomas Bailey Aldrich (1836–1907) American Writer, Poet, Critic, Editor
It is hoped that, with all modern improvements, a way will be discovered of getting rid of bores; for it is too bad that a poor wretch can be punished for stealing your handkerchief or gloves, and that no punishment can be inflicted on those who steal your time, and with it your temper and patience, as well as the bright thoughts that might have entered your mind, if they had not been frightened away by the bore.
—Lord Byron (George Gordon Byron) (1788–1824) English Romantic Poet
The secret of making one’s self tiresome, is, not to know when to stop.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
Man finds nothing so intolerable as to be in a state of complete rest, without passions, without occupation, without diversion, without effort. Then he feels his nullity, loneliness, inadequacy, dependence, helplessness, emptiness.
—Blaise Pascal (1623–62) French Mathematician, Physicist, Theologian
Bore: a person who talks when you wish him to listen.
—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1913) American Short-story Writer, Journalist
If you are bored with life, if you don’t get up every morning with a burning desire to do things—you don’t have enough goals.
—Lou Holtz (1893–1980) American Stage Performer
Boredom: the desire for desires.
—Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910) Russian Novelist
Only the most acute and active animals are capable of boredom.—A theme for a great poet would be God’s boredom on the seventh day of creation.
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer
I begin with the principle that all men are bores. Surely no one will prove himself so great a bore as to contradict me in this.
—Soren Kierkegaard (1813–55) Danish Philosopher, Theologian
It is necessary to work, if not from inclination, at least from despair. Everything considered, work is less boring than amusing oneself.
—Charles Baudelaire (1821–67) French Poet, Art Critic, Essayist, Translator
The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.
—Dorothy Parker (1893–1967) American Humorist, Journalist
A bore is a man who has nothing to say and says it anyway.
—Unknown
There are few wild beasts more to be dreaded than a talking man having nothing to say.
—Jonathan Swift (1667–1745) Irish Satirist
A yawn is a silent shout.
—G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936) English Journalist, Novelist, Essayist, Poet
The life of the creative man is lead, directed and controlled by boredom. Avoiding boredom is one of our most important purposes.
—Saul Steinberg (1914–99) American Cartoonist, Illustrator
Life is thickly sown with thorns, and I know no other remedy than to pass quickly through them. The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to harm us.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
I am quite serious when I say that I do not believe there are, on the whole earth besides, so many intensified bores as in these United States. No man can form an adequate idea of the real meaning of the word, without coming here.
—Charles Dickens (1812–70) English Novelist
We are almost always wearied in the company of persons with whom we are not permitted to be weary.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
Is boredom anything less than the sense of one’s faculties slowly dying?
—John Berger (1926–2017) English Art Critic, Novelist
For I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth, action nor utterance, nor the power of speech, to stir men’s blood. I only speak right on. I tell you that which you yourselves do know.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
What’s wrong with being a boring kind of guy?
—George H. W. Bush (1924–2018) American Republican Statesman, 41st President
Boredom is just the reverse side of fascination: both depend on being outside rather than inside a situation, and one leads to the other.
—Susan Sontag (1933–2004) American Writer, Philosopher
Boredom is like a pitiless zooming in on the epidermis of time. Every instant is dilated and magnified like the pores of the face.
—Jean Baudrillard (1929–2007) French Sociologist, Philosopher
He who seeks rest finds boredom. He who seeks work finds rest.
—Unknown
Boredom is not an end-product, is comparatively rather an early stage in life and art. You’ve got to go by or past or through boredom, as through a filter, before the clear product emerges.
—Unknown
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