The Fix For a 'Boring Life' - Sei Shonagen - The Pillow Book

It feels natural, at times, to lament how boring our lives are. We do the same things each week, nothing special or exciting ever seems to happen. We enviously compare our dull routines to the adventures of others. An antidote to our sense of tedium can be found a thousand years ago in the work of Sei Shonagon, a lady-in-waiting at the Imperial Place in Kyoto.

FURTHER READING

“It feels natural, at times, to lament how boring our lives are. We do the same sorts of things each week, nothing special or exciting ever seems to happen. We enviously compare our dull routines to the adventures of others. An antidote to our sense of tedium can be found in the work of Sei Shonagon. Around a thousand years ago, she kept a journal of the decade or so she spent as a lady-in-waiting at the Imperial Place in Kyoto, then the capital of Japan. Despise the high-status of her job, her daily life was, externally, deeply uneventful: an afternoon’s carriage ride outside the walls of the court compound might be the highlight of a year; a day trip to hear a sermon in a temple seems to have been the farthest extent of her travels; she spent all most all of her time indoors, in just two or three rooms; she saw the same few people month after month; her work largely involved keeping respectfully silent, knowing when to bow and remembering the complex titles of various officials…”

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CREDITS

Produced in collaboration with:

Zedem Media

Title animation produced in collaboration with

Vale Productions

[SornGeorge]

Incredible story, thanks for sharing. Our lives are not boring, we are just not paying enough attention.

[tomroz]

I like this quote a lot:
"A boring day at home is far more better then an interesting day at work"

[richardlionheart]

Being bored is the most freedom anyone will ever have

[kayskreed]

Nothing wrong with boredom. It gives us a chance to slow down and reflect. Boredom is also oftentimes the seed of inspiration, or a desire to try something new. The problem with modern life is the overabundance of choice that makes it increasingly difficult to concentrate.

[SearchOfSelf]

The beauty in the ordinary can often be more fulfilling than the pursuit of grand adventures or material possessions. The laughter of friends, the comfort of an inviting home or the soothing feel of a hearty meal. Such small enjoyments make up the greatest of life's treasures ♥

[tadpole]

Today I was wide awake while my boyfriend was next to me taking a nap, and I put my legs up on the wall and just started looking at the way my tendons moved across the top of my feet whenever I wiggled my toes. And I thought about how if he woke up, he would probably ask me what I was doing. It wouldn't be hard to explain that I was looking at the tendons in my feet, but it would be hard to explain why. "What is it fun to look at?" explained it perfectly. It's just fun and satisfying to look at things like that sometimes.

[nicolaiqbal]

I cannot help thinking that there is another aspect to this, especially when people are young/teenagers etc.
Looking back, I often think I would often be inwardly happy with a quiet life, if it wasn't for others advertising/boasting about the exciting things they get up to - it starts young as teenagers with people bragging about parties they attend, drinking, drug taking, sexual conquests etc. And at all ages, I think social media amplifies things too, with people constantly posting "exciting" things they do such as holidays, dates, sports, parties etc. Their message seems to be: my life is so much more interesting than yours, do keep up!!
You can be quite happy with your boring life until exposed to this kind of outside pressure.
Making it hard for the naturally shy among us and for people with health or financial barriers that mean they cannot do "exciting" things.
As you can tell, I am not on social media and was a high school nerd 😂😂😂😅

[Slaughterdemons]

I just watched this video and realized that how beautiful the wind is blowing through grass.

[andersdottir]

I often ponder on the nicest time of day; for me it’s always dusk. No need to bustle around to get ready to go out, chores are usually done, there might be a sunset to admire, I like to play records at dusk and remember when I was young and hearing those songs for the first time.

[BizarroJoe]

Thanks. I really needed this.

Long ago a teacher that I LOVE inadvertently said something that stuck with me and shaped my perspective greatly.

"Boring people get bored." Never wanting to be a boring person, I became anxious if I felt I wasn't doing something. That anxiety threw some RAGING parties with my depression that nearly took me out.

But another of your videos helped. Each day I remind myself that Sisyphus must be happy.

[darkhelmetsplane]

This reminds me of Matsuo Basho's poems where the simplest things in life are the most profound.

[SN-szkw]

Shonagen was also a marvelous gossip with strong opinions - esp regarding the habits of her lovers. The book is quietly hilarious. I read it as part of an Asian studies degree and it has been a favorite ever since. Highly recommended if you are a patient reader. 😊

[ItsMe-sxck]

Feeling bored is actually better than spending time doing unnecessary things

[EveofPyrite]

I can relate to that lady since I’m home all the time . Recently I have been feeling unfulfilled there are many things that I want yet they seem so far away from me. I guess I should start taking not of the small things around me . Maybe that will bring a bit more happiness to my life.

[artlover]

Your videos always come in the right time...!!! I was just questioning my existence and saying my life is so boring and I'm incompetent I work and maybe that's why I feel bored or boring
Thank you for the precious videos

[IvoryDragonfly]

This is lovely.

My partner is a physician. Our lives are perpetually chaos to which others say they are envious. It has its perks, security for example, but it allows little time to observe like this video describes.

I find myself trying to force that kind of time these days. This video is excellent at describing how to embrace a moment.

[theschooloflifetv]

What's an interesting question you might ask as a way of helping yourself (and others) appreciate life's beauty? Pose it in the comments for others to answer

[heavenlysteel]

I wish I could be bored again. When I turned 23 last November, I developed anxiety that got worse and worse and here I am now. I'm almost never calm enough to get bored, just less nervous. Even the slightest thought of responsibility or obligation; attending uni, going to work, meeting up with friends - casts me into a spell of doom.

It's funny cause before all this, I was starting to complain about feeling nothing most of the time.

[vasiliki]

Μέσα στον ορυμαγδό της ζωής ξεχνάμε τα βασικά της ύπαρξης μας εδώ το κορίτσι αυτό μας υπενθυμίζει την ουσία της απλότητας που είναι και το υπέρτατο ταξίδι της αυτογνωσίας και της αυτοεξελιξης! Ευχαριστούμε!

[hillarylirak]

this came up at the perfect time!!! I always found myself feeling bored, asking why my life is so boring, seeing everything as the same old routine. this brings light to what changes I should make to enjoy my life a little bit more. thank you! :)