What Exactly Is The Difference Between Apathy And Boredom?

While some people think that apathy and boredom are the same thing, they are not. There are clear differences between the two. Boredom, fatigue, feeling that life has no excitement, feeling empty, frustrated and uncomfortable are common. We dare to say that everyone goes through it at some point, which is why it is important to learn to distinguish these emotions.

Rollo May, a well-known existential psychologist, used to say that the opposite of love is not hate, but apathy. It refers to that state of disinterest, a place where enthusiasm has faded, even if it used to make you incredibly happy.

It is the lack of sparkle in the daily motivation. When the apathetic state comes to the surface, the person enters a dimension more problematic than the boredom itself.

Learning to identify one and the other can be of great help for several reasons. First, it can help you discover your state of mind, as apathy is a hallmark of depression in many cases. Second, it is always good to know what emotions are involved in order to better handle difficult situations. Let’s take a look.

Learning to distinguish apathy from boredom

We have all experienced boredom at one time or another. But apathy is not so common. It is true that both emotions are quite negative. Most people know what it’s like to wait at the airport for hours because their flight was delayed. Think about it. Have you ever felt like running away from a boring meeting or class?

Dealing with a bored child can also be very complicated. However, this is not as bad as you may think. In reality, allowing a child to be bored stimulates their innate capacity for boredom, which is very important.

However, adults don’t always use their imaginations when they’re bored. Instead, they tend to experience this condition with frustration. Therefore, they try to avoid it with unhealthy behaviors such as overeating.

It is essential to know how to distinguish between apathy and boredom. In fact, until recently, the scientific literature had not paid attention to these dimensions. After some attention was paid to them, it turned out that they are decisive for mental health.

The Unengaged Mind: Boredom

Boredom is an aversive state that occurs when what surrounds you externally does not interest you at all. It emerges when there are no attractive or challenging environmental stimuli; it can also appear when you are forced to perform tasks that are not rewarding for you. When nothing seems satisfying, interesting or motivating, boredom can overtake you.

In this psychological reality, boredom goes hand in hand with uneasiness, frustration and negativity. However, we should note that one of the differences between apathy and boredom is that the latter lasts for a shorter period of time.

In addition, studies such as those conducted at York University define boredom as that state in which the mind does not bind to itself and cannot concentrate on anything, leading to wandering.

As Eastwood, Frischen, Fenske, and Smilek (2020) point out, the more you let your mind wander, the more bored you will be. The important thing is to focus your mind on something you enjoy so that that feeling goes away.

Distinguishing Apathy From Boredom To Improve Your Mental Health

dr. Yael Goldberg of the University of Waterloo in the United Kingdom conducted a study in which he emphasized the relevance of learning to distinguish between apathy and boredom. This is because apathy is often the cause of depression and neurodegenerative states such as Alzheimer’s disease. That said, let’s take a look at how to identify states of apathy:

• Over time, apathy is a more stable state than boredom itself.
• Apathy literally means “lack of feeling.” So, while different emotions appear in boredom, in apathy there is more of a void. Nothing excites, stimulates or interests the individual.
• On the other hand, apathy is also related to anhedonia, which is the inability to experience pleasure and pleasure. According to the DSM-V , this characteristic corresponds to symptoms associated with depression.
• While it’s true that apathy can appear in your life for a period of time and then disappear as you find new motivations, it can become part of a larger mental disorder.
• Apathy is also characteristic of bipolar disorder, major depression and anxiety.

apathetic boredom

As we have indicated, it is important to distinguish apathy from boredom, but another dimension must also be taken into account. Recent studies by a team of researchers from Canada, the United States and Europe identified a new type of boredom, which they termed apathetic boredom.

This mental reality integrates feelings such as negativity, hopelessness, and learned helplessness. It is easy to identify:

• The inability to concentrate or pay attention.
• A person simply cannot focus on the everyday things.
• Guilt for not being able to perform.

As you can see, these two dimensions are not as similar as you probably thought at the beginning. It is important to distinguish apathy from boredom because both dimensions become a part of one’s life at least for a short period of time.

These two can even co-exist through psychological wear and tear. Motivation and the ability to get excited every day are the best antidote.