Hacking up a Boredom-ball

I have two cats, and I don’t think they are ever actually bored. Boring, yes. Sometimes they can be very boring. But when they are sitting around doing nothing they always seem very content.

Even if boredom is a uniquely human condition, I think we can still learn something from our furry friends. Assuming that my two companions do not have the capacity to be bored, I must ask the question: why not?

Science assumes that the human powers of reasoning and interpretation are far superior to the skills that animals possess. Humans, therefore, can search out and find meaning in things, whereas animals rely on instinct – the extent of their “meaning” relates only to survival and mating.

Hence, my two cats, without ever experiencing Warhol and without ever being exposed to any kind of critical theory, have singlehandedly discovered the postmodern solution to boredom. They can never be bored because they have no desire to find meaning or newness or originality.

They might lose interest in something, yes (as in those stupid coloured mice that sit in the corner of the living room, only to be played with once every few weeks). But losing interest in something does not necessarily imply boredom. Perhaps new stimulation comes along, or (similar to Warhol) perhaps my cats simply forget how much fun they were having with the string only a moment ago.

So why it is so difficult for us humans to be like the cats? I’m afraid that although the postmodern boredom solution works wonders for Colleoni and Martini, because we humans are born into a species which seems to inherently search for meaning, it is nearly impossible for us to empty our minds of it. To use an analogy: finding meaning is like understanding the sensation of touch – once you learn how to do it, you can’t consciously stop doing it. You can stifle it, or slightly ignore it to an extent, but it will always be there.

I wonder if children raised by wolves can get bored?