Do you get bored easily?

[Progster]

Ever since I was a child, I get bored really easily. I always wanted to be doing something, making something, reading something, new things and experiences, I was always complaining of boredom. I was bored, bored, bored and wanted more! I always need to constantly have a high level of stimulation, something going on all the time. Then, other times, I use to experiment a lot as a child, and like to invent or make things, or take things apart to see how they worked. I was very restless, but could focus on something for hours if it interested me. I got chronically bored at school, too.

This had often caused me to be conflicted: one the one hand, I want to do new things, new experiences, but on the other hand, I can't cope with some aspects of a new activity, such as the social aspects, or an aspect of the environment. So I'd be super-stimulated and charged up by something, and then suddenly crash and melt down, sometimes without warning (though I'm better at detecting the signs now. At Christmas, for example, I was always really excited by the presents, the food, the lights, etc, that then, at the end of the day or on Boxing day, I would just crash. I'd be really cranky, seek isolation, or melt down. Boxing day was more like Meltdown Day in my family.

Now, as an adult, I like to go to a restaurant, to order food and to eat and drink something rather than cook at home, I have this restlessness and want to get out of the house and do something, but then when I do it, I can't cope various aspects of the restaurant - the background music and noise is too loud, I can't follow and join in conversations so I get bored, I get restless, and I feel unsatified and/or stressed and am likely to just suddenly snap and even melt down. It's a kind of push-pull feeling, on the one hand I'm bored and want more and crave new things and experiences, on the other hand I can't handle them because of my Asperger's and never feel satified and fulfilled.

Can you relate? And do you get bored easily?

 

[Myrtonos]

I am bored most of the time, in fact, more so now than when I was younger. but have nothing more to say on this post.

 

[Misery]

Yeah, I know what you mean here.

I need enough mental stimulation of some sort to keep my sanity intact. And this needs to be constant. This then goes into the sorts of hobbies I have. Gaming, for instance. Normal games arent enough for me. Alot of the big-budget stuff you see advertised on TV wont do. Too easy, too simple.... too dull. Typically the difficulty/complexity must be *very* high in order for a game to hold my attention (with some exceptions). Alot of the sorts of games I'm into are the sort where other players will look at them, and go "that's impossible, how do you do that".

Or, there's also something like this:

"Twisty puzzles". Think Rubik's Cube, except much harder. At this point the original Rubik's Cube is outright easy. Still good, but I've no difficulty whatsoever in solving it (I dont speed-solve though, nor do I use memorization, since I have a memory like a cheese grater). That puzzle in the photo would be an okay challenge but absolutely within my skill level to solve.

Recently, there's another thing:

Virtual reality... I recently got a new (and absurdly expensive) PC that's built to handle it. In the screenshot there, all of those machines are fully active, just like they'd be in a real arcade. I can walk up to any of them and play them. And that simple screenshot doesnt do it justice... there's no way to show what VR is *really* like with a mere 2D shot. The arcade as a whole is large with many areas more than that. But the point is, this not only gets me up and moving around alot, but it also provides very high visual and auditory stimulation. The visual part is obvious... it's freaking VR. The auditory bit in this particular program is that it SOUNDS like a real arcade too. All those machines are making sounds, quite realistic to what they're actually like IRL. The Galaxian machine on the left there is particularly loud, because for whatever reason those specific machines were always earth-shattering in volume. There's also stuff like the old Skee-Ball machines and a freaking bowling alley in there. Or I could pick up random objects and fling them around. Suffice it to say, if I'm feeling bored or rather down, VR in general is the sort of mental (and physical) stimulation I need. It always gets me going again and kills boredom fast.

I'm also very much into cosplay, and I go to anime/gaming conventions whenever I can find one in driving distance. Not just for the convention experience itself, but because it's a way to get away from this bloody house for a bit... a hotel can be a very nice change of pace (when you're used to them anyway).

Lastly, I *must* go out driving at least once per day. Even if it's just to the Walmart. Otherwise I get really stir-crazy. Which also means that winter is a problem. When things freeze over, I cant really go anywhere... and I get more and more moody and unpleasant. Even with my hobbies to distract me.


There's a couple of other hobbies too, but you get the picture. As a kid I always got bored VERY easily (particularly in school) but as I've gotten older, I've realized that things like these are exactly what I need. Interestingly, they also stave off sensory issues that would normally lead to a shutdown or panic attack. Basically, they're just so bloody distracting that it's hard to focus on the sensory problems. But they need to be "intense" enough to have that effect.

What I cant deal with though is things like family events. I get really bored, really fast. I am not social at all, and usually at such an event my only thought is "how can I get out of here, and how soon?" I usually get rather moody and stressed out. There isnt really anything I can do about that one, unfortunately.

 

[Autistamatic]

It's a yes and no for me. Yes I used to get bored when I was younger - infuriatingly so. I get very absorbed in new concepts, ideas and avenues of creativity, but I always used to hit brick walls. Sometimes it was being unable to buy something I needed to sustain the interest, or more often I couldn't find the information I needed to progress. Cue boredom and restless frustration until something else came along. It led to a great many unfinished projects and half understood topics.
Then Tim Berners Lee invented the world wide web and everything changed!
Since I went online in 1995 information has become increasingly easy to find. All the things I couldn't buy because the specialist shops were miles away are now available to order online and now I can even shop around for the best price.
Now boredom is never a problem. There's so much to interest me now and so many old interests to pick up again. If anything the problem now is not getting distracted by something new and interesting I come across along the way.

 

[Theta.G]

View attachment 49335

Last time i saw operational VR environments the quality was close to PS1. That screenshot you shared, is amazing. leaps and bounds.

 

[Progster]

"Twisty puzzles". Think Rubik's Cube, except much harder. At this point the original Rubik's Cube is outright easy.

This reminds me of the Rubik's cube when it first came out, which I'm old enough to remember - I soon mastered the original version, and then started to collect other shapes and designs, though they were expensive and I didn't have the money, so was limited. I'm not a gamer and never got into video games, but I do remember having a Gameboy, it had just one game and I learned it quickly and it couldn't beat me, so a game would last for hours without getting any harder and I got bored of it after that.

Lastly, I *must* go out driving at least once per day. Even if it's just to the Walmart. Otherwise I get really stir-crazy. Which also means that winter is a problem. When things freeze over, I cant really go anywhere... and I get more and more moody and unpleasant. Even with my hobbies to distract me.

I can definitely relate to this. I get bored and need to get out, and look for reasons to get out, even just to the supermarket to buy something. Today is Sunday and it's raining, nothing to do, no shops open. Boring.

What I cant deal with though is things like family events. I get really bored, really fast. I am not social at all, and usually at such an event my only thought is "how can I get out of here, and how soon?" I usually get rather moody and stressed out. There isnt really anything I can do about that one, unfortunately.

Same here. Parties and other such social events are boring, all those endless small talk questions and too much sitting around just talking.

Yes I used to get bored when I was younger - infuriatingly so. I get very absorbed in new concepts, ideas and avenues of creativity, but I always used to hit brick walls. Sometimes it was being unable to buy something I needed to sustain the interest, or more often I couldn't find the information I needed to progess. Cue boredom and restless frustration until something else came along. It led to a great many unfinished projects and half understood topics.

I'm around the same age as you and this was my experience growing up too, and my parents didn't have the money to buy things - we didn't have a computer or anything like that (though other families did), and certainly no internet - the internet is truly a revolution and a great source of information, but I still don't have the money to pursue all the things I want to do and get frustrated and restless.

 

[Nihil]

Not anymore. I always have something to do now whether it's reading or listening to podcasts, or music.

 

[Autistamatic]

I still don't have the money to pursue all the things I want to do and get frustrated and restless

I know how that feels believe me. I'm the sole wage earner in my household so we have to be careful. I have mobility difficulties which also limit the outdoor activities I might otherwise like to try. I have to accept that I can't do everything I want to so I have to tailor my interests to my budget, ability and scope. The internet helps in this way too.
For example, when I started learning video at the beginning of this year I used a combination of my phone and a cheap Go-Pro style camera from an Aldi special deal. I started saving and when the time came to buy a camera I researched the hell out of it and then started shopping around. I managed to get the £700 camera I wanted (new) for £400. I use my phone as a sound recorder and got a £30 lapel mic for a tenner. All the software I use is Open Source (bar the photo editor and vector gfx editor) so that costs me next to nothing. It's made a potentially expensive hobby/passion affordable.
Same goes for computer gear, tools, consumables, even some food ingredients - the internet saves me a fortune and enables me to buy things I just wouldn't see in the shops. It allows me to shop from all over the world too and that's a godsend which also helps save money.

 

[Misery]

Last time i saw operational VR environments the quality was close to PS1. That screenshot you shared, is amazing. leaps and bounds.

Oh yeah. When you're actually in that particular program, it looks pretty much real. Even the game screens. All of those machines are *fully* active... attract modes and all. And when you're playing them, you can see individual pixels on the screen and everything (bloody hell if I know how it's possible). Granted it depends on the game. But for MOST games, they look absolutely like the real machines. And the rest of the arcade remains active even when you're playing one of the machines... it's not like it stops existing just to run the game. There is the occaisional one that doesnt come out quite right (like Star Castle, that's a favorite of mine but I can barely freaking see it if I play it in there), but that usually means they just need more setup. Which is the one problem with that program: You have to provide the ROMs yourself and they require complicated setup. Though there are programs to help with it.

And all of this at 90 FPS or so. Which is pretty much necessary to prevent side effects for most players. The problem: The cost. The PC I got for this cost a ridiculous 4500 USD. On the plus side, I wont be needing to replace it anytime soon... Also the setup. It was bloody complicated. I ended up needing to move the whole mess out of my room and into the basement because it needed more space (so I can walk around and stuff).

I'll point out my favorite program though:

This is Chroma Lab. Imagine all of that, hundreds of thousands (up to a couple million if you have a REALLY crazy rig) of particles/balls/whatever, full physics... filling the room around you (and yes, you can walk around in it, if you have the physical space to do so). In space. It's my go-to program when I want to just sort of wind down and relax a bit... just jump in there and screw around with it. And needless to say, it's good at the whole sensory stimulation thing. It's also THE thing I show to people that havent tried VR before. Well, that and Google Earth VR. Everyone (myself included) freaking loves that one.

This reminds me of the Rubik's cube when it first came out, which I'm old enough to remember - I soon mastered the original version, and then started to collect other shapes and designs, though they were expensive and I didn't have the money, so was limited.

Yeah, that's an issue with those. They can be expensive. Some of them arent... I've got some that were like 5-15 (USD). But I've got others that ranged anywhere from 50-200. The more pieces and the higher the complexity, the higher the cost. It's one of those hobbies you dont jump into lightly. And the problem is, once you've mastered a puzzle, it's not really going to be that difficult again. So anyone into this hobby tends to need a constant influx of new puzzles. Though, the harder the puzzle is the longer it takes, so keeping the challenge up helps alot.

And that's a problem with MOST hobbies, isnt it? They're EXPENSIVE. It doesnt matter if it's gaming or puzzles or art or woodworking or whatever.... it's GOING to cost you way more than it seems like it should. For really obsessive people like many of us on this forum, that... can be a problem, yes. Even moreso for those that get bored easily. You really want to do more with your special interest, but you have to WAIT until you can save up, or something like that. That's a complaint I hear alot with stuff like this.

Same here. Parties and other such social events are boring, all those endless small talk questions and too much sitting around just talking.

Ugh, yes. I dont understand why anyone finds that enjoyable. Dont get me wrong, it's not like I NEVER do social things... those conventions I go to definitely count. THOSE however, are utter bloody chaos. Never a boring moment, even to me. But a normal social event? Uuuuuugh. Nobody ever does or talks about anything INTERESTING. I often see complaints on this forum about having to go to "normal" social events, and I cant blame them. I really just cant deal with it any better than many in this place.

 

[Theta.G]

Spoiler

Oh yeah. When you're actually in that particular program, it looks pretty much real. Even the game screens. All of those machines are *fully* active... attract modes and all. And when you're playing them, you can see individual pixels on the screen and everything (bloody hell if I know how it's possible). Granted it depends on the game. But for MOST games, they look absolutely like the real machines. And the rest of the arcade remains active even when you're playing one of the machines... it's not like it stops existing just to run the game. There is the occaisional one that doesnt come out quite right (like Star Castle, that's a favorite of mine but I can barely freaking see it if I play it in there), but that usually means they just need more setup. Which is the one problem with that program: You have to provide the ROMs yourself and they require complicated setup. Though there are programs to help with it.

And all of this at 90 FPS or so. Which is pretty much necessary to prevent side effects for most players. The problem: The cost. The PC I got for this cost a ridiculous 4500 USD. On the plus side, I wont be needing to replace it anytime soon... Also the setup. It was bloody complicated. I ended up needing to move the whole mess out of my room and into the basement because it needed more space (so I can walk around and stuff).

I'll point out my favorite program though:

This is Chroma Lab. Imagine all of that, hundreds of thousands (up to a couple million if you have a REALLY crazy rig) of particles/balls/whatever, full physics... filling the room around you (and yes, you can walk around in it, if you have the physical space to do so). In space. It's my go-to program when I want to just sort of wind down and relax a bit... just jump in there and screw around with it. And needless to say, it's good at the whole sensory stimulation thing. It's also THE thing I show to people that havent tried VR before. Well, that and Google Earth VR. Everyone (myself included) freaking loves that one.



Yeah, that's an issue with those. They can be expensive. Some of them arent... I've got some that were like 5-15 (USD). But I've got others that ranged anywhere from 50-200. The more pieces and the higher the complexity, the higher the cost. It's one of those hobbies you dont jump into lightly. And the problem is, once you've mastered a puzzle, it's not really going to be that difficult again. So anyone into this hobby tends to need a constant influx of new puzzles. Though, the harder the puzzle is the longer it takes, so keeping the challenge up helps alot.

And that's a problem with MOST hobbies, isnt it? They're EXPENSIVE. It doesnt matter if it's gaming or puzzles or art or woodworking or whatever.... it's GOING to cost you way more than it seems like it should. For really obsessive people like many of us on this forum, that... can be a problem, yes. Even moreso for those that get bored easily. You really want to do more with your special interest, but you have to WAIT until you can save up, or something like that. That's a complaint I hear alot with stuff like this.




Ugh, yes. I dont understand why anyone finds that enjoyable. Dont get me wrong, it's not like I NEVER do social things... those conventions I go to definitely count. THOSE however, are utter bloody chaos. Never a boring moment, even to me. But a normal social event? Uuuuuugh. Nobody ever does or talks about anything INTERESTING. I often see complaints on this forum about having to go to "normal" social events, and I cant blame them. I really just cant deal with it any better than many in this place.

Yes i absolutely hate how expensive it can be. Have lost out on millions several times in my life because i just couldn't come up with enough capital before the next biggest thing took everyone by storm. On one hand... this is the future of entertainment. and if you get in early as a developer could build yourself a great life. Many highly successful endeavors took what people already do and digitized it. In the not so distant future you could take the digital version and virtualize them and call them something else. A gold mine. An absolute gold mine. It's at least 5 years away before commercial availability reaches this quality at a reasonable price.

Could you imagine a VR game development engine? Omg. How beautiful would that be. Bone animation software compatable with the engine so you can reposition the body of your character frame by frame using your hands or whatever vr extension. Or even an interactive 3d design VR program which would have the same functionality as GIMP / photoshop / adobe. Yet you can view your work from different angles. Grab and pull, expand shrink using your hands or whatever extension.
Even if it's fairly primitive if you're one of the first people to do it in VR many will flock to it for the novelty factor. Your brand gets known. You gradually roll out back dated amazing improvements, a loyal following is born.

It's pretty cool that could you use your own roms. Might even be able to rig up a cardboard box irl and fill with material where the machine would be in VR space. To help with immersion *kicks machine when game glitches or or you die* Have you been able to play around with designing your own apps or games in this yet?

Also, with the chroma demonstration video you shared....
When you shoot ink out of your controller is your brain tricked into feeling the recoil force due to the other immersive elements?
Or, if you walk through a dense cloud of color, does it feel like your actually walking through some resistant thicker space?
( The "tricks" played on the brain when vision and hearing are immersed in a different reality interests me quite a bit)

 

[Progster]

Same goes for computer gear, tools, consumables, even some food ingredients - the internet saves me a fortune and enables me to buy things I just wouldn't see in the shops. It allows me to shop from all over the world too and that's a godsend which also helps save money.

This is true and it is great - I can buy music from all over the world in a range of formats, but never enough money to feed my drive to collect, and I always need more.

And that's a problem with MOST hobbies, isnt it? They're EXPENSIVE. It doesnt matter if it's gaming or puzzles or art or woodworking or whatever.... it's GOING to cost you way more than it seems like it should. For really obsessive people like many of us on this forum, that... can be a problem, yes. Even moreso for those that get bored easily. You really want to do more with your special interest, but you have to WAIT until you can save up, or something like that. That's a complaint I hear alot with stuff like this.

Yes, most hobbies cost money, including music - I have to wait until the end of the month before I can buy things to add to the collection, and I can't afford to buy the audio equipment that I would like to have, such as a pair of decent headphones, or a decent surround system - what I have is good and was state of the art at the time I got it 20 years ago, but now very retro and and out of date. That feeling of having to wait is extremely frustrating, and that I can't afford to buy things I want for my collection. But that's life I guess, everybody has things that they would like to be able to afford to buy but can't.

Ugh, yes. I dont understand why anyone finds that enjoyable. Dont get me wrong, it's not like I NEVER do social things... those conventions I go to definitely count. THOSE however, are utter bloody chaos. Never a boring moment, even to me. But a normal social event? Uuuuuugh. Nobody ever does or talks about anything INTERESTING. I often see complaints on this forum about having to go to "normal" social events, and I cant blame them. I really just cant deal with it any better than many in this place.

The best party I ever went to, and perhaps the only one I ever really enjoyed, was one organised by an friend who had got a whole bunch of old PCs from the university which they were about to throw out, and we each had a PC that we could take apart to see what was inside it - I still have some parts from it such as really powerful magnets - I LOVED this party!!

 

[Monachopia]

Majority of the time, no, I don't get bored easily. I grew up in a one bedroom flat with my grandparents, we hardly had any toys at all and the tv didn't work half the time. They were old and somewhat disabled, so they couldn't do much. I wasn't allowed to go outside on my own or have friends (my grandparents for some reason discouraged any mingling with other children - I still don't know why).
So I learned to entertain myself. Most of the time, I'm happy with my own company even if there's nothing else to do, I find something to occupy myself.

 

[Theta.G]

Sorry i got excited about the VR and forgot about the original topic for a moment (lol)

I don't get bored easily anymore all thanks to the internet. However on the other hand i'm now it's slave and too much time is spent online doing mundane things.

 

[Pats]

I've been asked by many if I get bored being home all the time and that's a big NO. I can entertain myself with whatever I have available. Always have a pen and paper around to write, draw, or make my own word games, if nothing else. I do have to be doing something, though. I could never just sit and watch tv without doing something else, also. It got on some people's nerves that I'd be writing or doing something and they'd complain that I wasn't watching the movie and I'd say I was. When we lost electricity for a week after Michael, I did miss the computer but kept myself occupied with whatever. I'm happiest just being home doing whatever I feel like doing.

 

[OkRad]

Horribly so. My brain needs terribly complex things to entertain it and we live in a world of banality.

 

[Mr Allen]

Sometimes I do, and contrary to popular belief I am NOT retarded or otherwise mentally challenged.

 

[LucyPurrs]

@ Misery, would you be willing to give me a list of the very difficult and challenging games you know? My "aspie" friend is a huge gamer and super intelligent and I'd love to be able to get him something he doesn't already have. He eats games like I eat potato chips. I be so grateful if you would suggest a bunch- he's shared his games with me on steam so I can check to see what he already has. Oh and he has a PS4 so if there are any for that they'd work too.

 

[Tom]

Not really. I could always find something to occupy myself even if it was just thinking about something while having to wait long periods of time.

 

[Judge]

Nope. For me life is almost always a matter of what I want to do, or what I need to do.

If I run out of one, there's always the other. And there's always chores to be done.

 

[Mr Allen]

Nope. For me life is almost always a matter of what I want to do, or what I need to do.

If I run out of one, there's always the other. And there's always chores to be done.

Me too, there's almost always stuff that HAS to be done, as opposed to stuff I WANT to do.