Why is the Boring Bad?

Abstract: In this paper, I analyze the phenomenon of the boring and defend the boring as an intrinsic source of disvalue, along the lines of pain. In the course of defending this claim, we’ll see that understanding the boring provides a window into understanding the nature of experiential value more generally. We’ll moreover see that proper reflection on the boring reveals an underappreciated yet distinctively valuable aspect of human agency: its capacity to be motivated and engaged by unstructured attention that is stimulus-driven while nonetheless internally motivated. Harnessing this ability, I’ll argue, helps us to avoid the boring, find the interesting, and add value to our experiential lives. I’ll conclude by briefly exploring the implications this analysis has for how to understand value at the margins of life.