Why The Truth Isn't Always Interesting -- The Bored Man's Fallacy -- How Feelings Stand In the Way
Updated: Feb 12
"Would not politics would be far more entertaining for us all if it was a dance-off vs the boring debates?" -- John Duran
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Why We Philosophize (Even When It Bores Us)
Despite this crucial role in discerning truth, philosophy often struggles to captivate the general public. The funny thing about philosophy is that it can bore people to tears. This disinterest, I argue, stems from three factors:
Competing Priorities: People are preoccupied with the practicalities of life: earning a living, finding love, raising families. These tangible needs and desires understandably take top priority over pondering the nature of existence. And perhaps rightfully so, when many, unlike cats, are caught in the "rat race" of modern life.
The Allure of Falsehood: Sometimes, reality is harsh. Falsehood, be it in the form of fantasies or comforting beliefs, can offer a temporary escape. This emotional appeal makes truth, at times, seem dull and uninteresting. In some cases we prefer to hear what we think to be the truth, and not the truth itself.
The Echo Chamber of History: Critics may point to the seemingly repetitive nature of philosophy, with thinkers revisiting the same questions for thousands of years. This perceived lack of innovation in this field can discourage exploration of these age-old inquiries. Perhaps, wrognly so, this could justify an "attack" on philosophical exploration.
Despite these challenges, philosophy remains a vital pursuit. Its tools equip us to navigate the complexities of life, to challenge assumptions, and to make informed decisions in a world overflowing with information, both true and false.
While philosophy may not offer the immediate, tangible rewards of other fields, its ultimate value lies in its ability to illuminate the path towards a more discerning, meaningful existence. And that, in itself, is a truth worth embracing, even if it takes a bit of effort to unravel.
Introducting the Fallacy
The "Bored Man's Fallacy" occurs when we dismiss facts or insights simply because they don't spark our interest. That is, while their objective importance is proveable through the reasoning behind the strawman's fallacy. This behavior, while understandable, considering our innate desire for pleasure, is inherently illogical. All fallacies are, by definition, flawed in their reasoning.
Take for example subjects such as infrastructure, which are essential to the functioning of society, or numbers, which arguably keeps the whole universe in line. Can you say that these interest most of the world's population than, let's say, p*rnography? Surely an a philosophical article about intercourse, by itself, is far less interesting than p*rn is to most people! And yet, there are some things of greater value, regardless of the subjective value we actually attribute to them.
Discovering the World Beyond the Mind
And indeed, some things of greater importance seem to best be left to people who are more inclined to take care of them. Of course music and poetry will speak to most people in this day and age than examining the political philosophies of obscure countries. So what if North Korea is lead by the Juche philosophy, which determines its extreme, lethal nuclear policy, which allows it to resume radically oppress its own populace? Becoming a more recognized is a far greater interest for many of us in the name of validation.
Hence, even if counter-intuitive, the human experience isn't purely logical. Some adjectives we use, like "fun" or "boring," can be misleading by failing to seperate objective and subjective value. They thus often describe subjective experiences rather than objective qualities, even though it can often fail clarifying it to the other side, thus misleading them by accident.
We may assume these terms are universal, leading us to believe they're intrinsic to certain things, when they're not. Even something like planet size is relative. To call Russia "bigger" than Pluto relies on a specific point of comparison. Compare Russia to Jupiter and Russia will be small in comparison. Either way, the same landmass of Russia remains the same, regardless of its comparisons to any other planetary body.
Relating something to the human experience, and giving it the same objective importance, is the reasoning behind the Bored Man's Fallacy, making "the Bored Man" an unreliable source by the fact that he is biased by his (or her) boredom to make an objective judgement.
As such, Russia's landmass is 16,376,870 Km² regardless of what it makes us feel, and regardless if other things, like being validated, are more important to us.
Therefore, there exists a degree of value that is independent of points of comparisons. And this in turn proves that, metaphysically, exists a World Beyond the Mind.
Have I bored you yet as I just proved objective existence?
Why Subjectivity Reigns Supreme in Entertainment
Ignoring a truth entirely just because it's uninteresting is akin to self-imposed delusion. While this doesn't mean everyone who does this is completely delusional, it highlights how the pursuit of truth isn't everyone's top priority, making philosophy a niche field. For example, dismissing a movie as "bad" solely because it bores us falls prey to this fallacy. Even great movies can bore some viewers, and vice versa.
I mean, I personally enjoyed "The Room" so much that I wrote an article about it! Does that mean the movie is good? Not objectively.
Entertainment aims to entertain. However, claiming a movie is objectively "boring" reveals little about the movie itself and more about our individual experience. That film might resonate deeply with millions. Can a movie be both loved and hated? Absolutely, as evidenced by diverse reviews. Of course people, for example, can still enjoy the prequels of Star Wars, despite other people hating them.
When Truth Bites, We Hide
Other factors further complicate our relationship with truth. Telling someone who is overweight that they are overweight, while a fact, can be considered offensive. As someone who once weighed 130kg, I understand the discomfort involved. Yet, denying this reality doesn't change it. Similarly, truths can be uncomfortable or embarrassing. And our own irritation of discomfort can stand in the way of understanding reality.
This reluctance to acknowledge certain truths can be seen as another variation of the "Bored Man's Fallacy." Just like avoiding boredom, some prefer to avoid unpleasant emotions like shame or fear. That's regardless of the fact that we're allowed to resist our fears.
Unfortunately, the solution to this fallacy lies outside our direct control. We can only influence, aiming to nudge people towards looking beyond the comfort of immediate emotions. Hence the practical importance of expanding our influence, and making people interested in what we have to say, therefore. Alternative emotions, like anger or sadness, can also fall prey to this tendency, as we often seek to avoid feeling them.
So unfortunately, as people prefer doing things that make them feel good, rather than things that can help them on the long term or otherwise -- appealing to the human experience is imperative. Can you expect most people to act independently of willpower? Of course not, it's too unrealistic an expectation.
As such, I've observed an interesting connection between visual elements and user experience. Adding pictures to content seems to pique interest, regardless of their actual relevance. We can attach a beautiful flower photo to a social media post and watch engagement skyrocket, even if the image has nothing to do with the actual content. Hence the "magic" that exists in multimedia experience.
Conclusions
Our disinterest in understanding reality can stem from our preference for pleasure over the often-challenging pursuit of truth. Fun can aid concentration and engagement, making difficult tasks more tolerable. Yet, it's crucial to recognize that the "Bored Man's Fallacy" can stand in the way of our intellectual growth and limit our understanding of the world around us.
Relying too heavily on fun and boredom as our guiding lights can be like adding too much sugar to your coffee. While it makes the experience more pleasant, it creates an unnecessary dependence which would oblige us to "need" sugar whenever we drink coffee. Then, we would need that unhealthy substance again and again just to eat and drink certain things (even though we don't have to use sugar that often, thus saving ourselves from a sugar addiction).
Apply what I said to anything that would compel us to feel like we're having fun. Let us focus on things in the name of our ambitions, regardless of what they make us feel. You might think learning certain skills, like building a website, are boring, but in reality, they could serve your interest, beyond your need to enjoy.
To solve doing things while bored we must force ourselves to do things despite the boredom. Whether or not philosophy bores us does not negate its objective value.
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