Against boredom the gods themselves fight in vain.
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer
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
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
A bore is a person who opens his mouth and puts his feats in it.
—Henry Ford (1863–1947) American Businessperson, Engineer
You’ll find boredom where there is an absence of a good idea.
—Earl Nightingale (1921–89) American Motivational Speaker, Author
The man who suspects his own tediousness is yet to be born.
—Thomas Bailey Aldrich (1836–1907) American Writer, Poet, Critic, Editor
Boredom is a disease of the mind and psyche, an insidious disease. It not only takes the joy out of life, but the creativity as well. No one of God’s children should ever be bored with life.
—Unknown
Bores bore each other too; but it never seems to teach them anything.
—Don Marquis (1878–1937) American Humorist, Journalist, Author
When people are bored it is primarily with themselves.
—Eric Hoffer (1902–83) American Philosopher, Author
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 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
A bore is a man who has nothing to say and says it anyway.
—Unknown
Unless a man has been taught what to do with success after getting it, the achievement of it must inevitably leave him a prey to boredom.
—Bertrand A. Russell (1872–1970) British Philosopher, Mathematician, Social Critic
Boredom is always counter-revolutionary. Always.
—Guy Debord (1931–94) French Philosopher
A healthy male adult bore consumes each year one and a half times his own weight in other people’s patience.
—John Updike (1932–2009) American Novelist, Poet, Short-Story Writer
He who seeks rest finds boredom. He who seeks work finds rest.
—Unknown
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
O, he is as tedious as is a tired horse, or a railing wife; worse than a smoky house.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Somebody’s boring me; I think it’s me.
—Dylan Thomas (1914–53) Welsh Poet, Author
And ’tis remarkable that they talk most who have the least to say.
—Matthew Prior (1664–1721) English Poet, Diplomat
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
What’s wrong with being a boring kind of guy?
—George H. W. Bush (1924–2018) American Republican Statesman, 41st President
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.
—F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940) American 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
Bore: a person who talks when you wish him to listen.
—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1913) American Short-story Writer, Journalist
The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.
—Dorothy Parker (1893–1967) American Humorist, Journalist
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
The secret of making one’s self tiresome, is, not to know when to stop.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
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
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