fear is to courage as boredom is to?





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Is there a word meaning "ability to overcome boredom", just like how courage means "ability to overcome fear"?



Sample sentence: "It takes a lot of _ to read that book. I couldn't read it because it was so boring".



Determination and will don't really work since they apply to just about every emotion. I'm looking for something specific to boredom.










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  • 1




    Superficially, your example implies the problem lies in the fact that the book itself is boring, in which case the reluctant reader is simply "normal" (normal people aren't interested in doing or reading things that are boring). But pragmatically we should assume that's just the reluctant reader's excuse for failing to read the book, so how about It takes a lot of focus to read that book. I couldn't read it because I have the attention span of a goldfish.
    – FumbleFingers
    Dec 2 at 13:07












  • If courage conquers fear, perhaps curiosity conquers boredom.
    – Dan
    Dec 2 at 13:19










  • @FumbleFingers Focus doesn't belong in the same class as courage. Focus is what boredom saps - it's hard to stay focused when bored.
    – johnny
    Dec 2 at 14:25

















up vote
0
down vote

favorite












Is there a word meaning "ability to overcome boredom", just like how courage means "ability to overcome fear"?



Sample sentence: "It takes a lot of _ to read that book. I couldn't read it because it was so boring".



Determination and will don't really work since they apply to just about every emotion. I'm looking for something specific to boredom.










share|improve this question







New contributor




johnny is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
















  • 1




    Superficially, your example implies the problem lies in the fact that the book itself is boring, in which case the reluctant reader is simply "normal" (normal people aren't interested in doing or reading things that are boring). But pragmatically we should assume that's just the reluctant reader's excuse for failing to read the book, so how about It takes a lot of focus to read that book. I couldn't read it because I have the attention span of a goldfish.
    – FumbleFingers
    Dec 2 at 13:07












  • If courage conquers fear, perhaps curiosity conquers boredom.
    – Dan
    Dec 2 at 13:19










  • @FumbleFingers Focus doesn't belong in the same class as courage. Focus is what boredom saps - it's hard to stay focused when bored.
    – johnny
    Dec 2 at 14:25













up vote
0
down vote

favorite









up vote
0
down vote

favorite











Is there a word meaning "ability to overcome boredom", just like how courage means "ability to overcome fear"?



Sample sentence: "It takes a lot of _ to read that book. I couldn't read it because it was so boring".



Determination and will don't really work since they apply to just about every emotion. I'm looking for something specific to boredom.










share|improve this question







New contributor




johnny is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











Is there a word meaning "ability to overcome boredom", just like how courage means "ability to overcome fear"?



Sample sentence: "It takes a lot of _ to read that book. I couldn't read it because it was so boring".



Determination and will don't really work since they apply to just about every emotion. I'm looking for something specific to boredom.







single-word-requests






share|improve this question







New contributor




johnny is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











share|improve this question







New contributor




johnny is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









share|improve this question




share|improve this question






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asked Dec 2 at 12:39









johnny

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31




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johnny is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.






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Check out our Code of Conduct.








  • 1




    Superficially, your example implies the problem lies in the fact that the book itself is boring, in which case the reluctant reader is simply "normal" (normal people aren't interested in doing or reading things that are boring). But pragmatically we should assume that's just the reluctant reader's excuse for failing to read the book, so how about It takes a lot of focus to read that book. I couldn't read it because I have the attention span of a goldfish.
    – FumbleFingers
    Dec 2 at 13:07












  • If courage conquers fear, perhaps curiosity conquers boredom.
    – Dan
    Dec 2 at 13:19










  • @FumbleFingers Focus doesn't belong in the same class as courage. Focus is what boredom saps - it's hard to stay focused when bored.
    – johnny
    Dec 2 at 14:25














  • 1




    Superficially, your example implies the problem lies in the fact that the book itself is boring, in which case the reluctant reader is simply "normal" (normal people aren't interested in doing or reading things that are boring). But pragmatically we should assume that's just the reluctant reader's excuse for failing to read the book, so how about It takes a lot of focus to read that book. I couldn't read it because I have the attention span of a goldfish.
    – FumbleFingers
    Dec 2 at 13:07












  • If courage conquers fear, perhaps curiosity conquers boredom.
    – Dan
    Dec 2 at 13:19










  • @FumbleFingers Focus doesn't belong in the same class as courage. Focus is what boredom saps - it's hard to stay focused when bored.
    – johnny
    Dec 2 at 14:25








1




1




Superficially, your example implies the problem lies in the fact that the book itself is boring, in which case the reluctant reader is simply "normal" (normal people aren't interested in doing or reading things that are boring). But pragmatically we should assume that's just the reluctant reader's excuse for failing to read the book, so how about It takes a lot of focus to read that book. I couldn't read it because I have the attention span of a goldfish.
– FumbleFingers
Dec 2 at 13:07






Superficially, your example implies the problem lies in the fact that the book itself is boring, in which case the reluctant reader is simply "normal" (normal people aren't interested in doing or reading things that are boring). But pragmatically we should assume that's just the reluctant reader's excuse for failing to read the book, so how about It takes a lot of focus to read that book. I couldn't read it because I have the attention span of a goldfish.
– FumbleFingers
Dec 2 at 13:07














If courage conquers fear, perhaps curiosity conquers boredom.
– Dan
Dec 2 at 13:19




If courage conquers fear, perhaps curiosity conquers boredom.
– Dan
Dec 2 at 13:19












@FumbleFingers Focus doesn't belong in the same class as courage. Focus is what boredom saps - it's hard to stay focused when bored.
– johnny
Dec 2 at 14:25




@FumbleFingers Focus doesn't belong in the same class as courage. Focus is what boredom saps - it's hard to stay focused when bored.
– johnny
Dec 2 at 14:25










3 Answers
3






active

oldest

votes

















up vote
0
down vote



accepted










Boredom has many aspects and as such can have more than one "opposite" concepts that would fit in your example sentence. Consider for example:




It takes a lot of concentration to read that book. I couldn't read it because it was so boring.




vs.:




It takes a lot of curiosity to read that book. I couldn't read it because it was so boring.




or:




It takes a lot of stamina to read that book. I couldn't read it because it was so boring.







share|improve this answer




























    up vote
    0
    down vote













    "It takes a lot of perseverance to read that book. I couldn't read it because it was so boring."




    [Merriam-Webster]



    : continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition : the action or condition or an instance of persevering : STEADFASTNESS



    // She will always be fondly remembered for her perseverance and determination with a 'never give up' attitude.
    — Hartford Courant, courant.com, "Ann Kelly," 14 July 2018




    Note that perseverance applies to overcoming more things than just boredom. But I am unaware of any word that specifically means perseverance in the face of boredom.



    Courage might specifically mean perseverance in the face of fear, but courage can also apply to an action that lasts for mere seconds. When spending hours reading a boring book, it's the quality of sustained effort that's relevant. Even if reading a few pages is a chore, you can't really be said to have perseverance (or overcome your boredom) if you give up after those few pages.






    share|improve this answer




























      up vote
      0
      down vote













      Psychologists might talk about this in terms of (behavioral or academic) self-regulation (see Wikipedia), which is the ability to make ourselves do things we'd rather not (or stop ourselves doing things we'd rather). It's not limited to boredom, though; you also need self-regulation to overcome distaste or anxiety, as well as to avoid temptation.



      Two highly relevant components of self-regulation are motivation and self-control or willpower. It might sound like the latter is the same thing as self-regulation, but all the willpower in the world isn't going to get you through that boring book if you don't have a good reason to read it (and conversely, very high motivation probably won't get you there if you lack all willpower).



      Some examples of use:




      “I characterize boredom as a deficiency in self-regulation,” Danckert [a cognitive neuro-scientist who studies boredom] says.




      —Maggie Koerth-Baker, "Why Boredom Is Anything but Boring", Scientific American, January 18, 2016




      Boredom in the Classroom: Addressing Student Motivation, Self-Regulation, and Engagement in Learning




      —Gayle L. Macklem, SpringerBriefs in Psychology, 2015




      Many important learning tasks feel uninteresting and tedious to learners. This research proposed that promoting a prosocial, self-transcendent purpose could improve academic self-regulation on such tasks.




      —David S. Yeager et al., "Boring but Important: A Self-Transcendent Purpose for Learning Fosters
      Academic Self-Regulation", Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2014, Vol. 107, No. 4, 559 –580 (quote is from the abstract; full PDF here)






      share|improve this answer





















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        3 Answers
        3






        active

        oldest

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        3 Answers
        3






        active

        oldest

        votes









        active

        oldest

        votes






        active

        oldest

        votes








        up vote
        0
        down vote



        accepted










        Boredom has many aspects and as such can have more than one "opposite" concepts that would fit in your example sentence. Consider for example:




        It takes a lot of concentration to read that book. I couldn't read it because it was so boring.




        vs.:




        It takes a lot of curiosity to read that book. I couldn't read it because it was so boring.




        or:




        It takes a lot of stamina to read that book. I couldn't read it because it was so boring.







        share|improve this answer

























          up vote
          0
          down vote



          accepted










          Boredom has many aspects and as such can have more than one "opposite" concepts that would fit in your example sentence. Consider for example:




          It takes a lot of concentration to read that book. I couldn't read it because it was so boring.




          vs.:




          It takes a lot of curiosity to read that book. I couldn't read it because it was so boring.




          or:




          It takes a lot of stamina to read that book. I couldn't read it because it was so boring.







          share|improve this answer























            up vote
            0
            down vote



            accepted







            up vote
            0
            down vote



            accepted






            Boredom has many aspects and as such can have more than one "opposite" concepts that would fit in your example sentence. Consider for example:




            It takes a lot of concentration to read that book. I couldn't read it because it was so boring.




            vs.:




            It takes a lot of curiosity to read that book. I couldn't read it because it was so boring.




            or:




            It takes a lot of stamina to read that book. I couldn't read it because it was so boring.







            share|improve this answer












            Boredom has many aspects and as such can have more than one "opposite" concepts that would fit in your example sentence. Consider for example:




            It takes a lot of concentration to read that book. I couldn't read it because it was so boring.




            vs.:




            It takes a lot of curiosity to read that book. I couldn't read it because it was so boring.




            or:




            It takes a lot of stamina to read that book. I couldn't read it because it was so boring.








            share|improve this answer












            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer










            answered Dec 2 at 16:27









            michael.hor257k

            10.7k41636




            10.7k41636
























                up vote
                0
                down vote













                "It takes a lot of perseverance to read that book. I couldn't read it because it was so boring."




                [Merriam-Webster]



                : continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition : the action or condition or an instance of persevering : STEADFASTNESS



                // She will always be fondly remembered for her perseverance and determination with a 'never give up' attitude.
                — Hartford Courant, courant.com, "Ann Kelly," 14 July 2018




                Note that perseverance applies to overcoming more things than just boredom. But I am unaware of any word that specifically means perseverance in the face of boredom.



                Courage might specifically mean perseverance in the face of fear, but courage can also apply to an action that lasts for mere seconds. When spending hours reading a boring book, it's the quality of sustained effort that's relevant. Even if reading a few pages is a chore, you can't really be said to have perseverance (or overcome your boredom) if you give up after those few pages.






                share|improve this answer

























                  up vote
                  0
                  down vote













                  "It takes a lot of perseverance to read that book. I couldn't read it because it was so boring."




                  [Merriam-Webster]



                  : continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition : the action or condition or an instance of persevering : STEADFASTNESS



                  // She will always be fondly remembered for her perseverance and determination with a 'never give up' attitude.
                  — Hartford Courant, courant.com, "Ann Kelly," 14 July 2018




                  Note that perseverance applies to overcoming more things than just boredom. But I am unaware of any word that specifically means perseverance in the face of boredom.



                  Courage might specifically mean perseverance in the face of fear, but courage can also apply to an action that lasts for mere seconds. When spending hours reading a boring book, it's the quality of sustained effort that's relevant. Even if reading a few pages is a chore, you can't really be said to have perseverance (or overcome your boredom) if you give up after those few pages.






                  share|improve this answer























                    up vote
                    0
                    down vote










                    up vote
                    0
                    down vote









                    "It takes a lot of perseverance to read that book. I couldn't read it because it was so boring."




                    [Merriam-Webster]



                    : continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition : the action or condition or an instance of persevering : STEADFASTNESS



                    // She will always be fondly remembered for her perseverance and determination with a 'never give up' attitude.
                    — Hartford Courant, courant.com, "Ann Kelly," 14 July 2018




                    Note that perseverance applies to overcoming more things than just boredom. But I am unaware of any word that specifically means perseverance in the face of boredom.



                    Courage might specifically mean perseverance in the face of fear, but courage can also apply to an action that lasts for mere seconds. When spending hours reading a boring book, it's the quality of sustained effort that's relevant. Even if reading a few pages is a chore, you can't really be said to have perseverance (or overcome your boredom) if you give up after those few pages.






                    share|improve this answer












                    "It takes a lot of perseverance to read that book. I couldn't read it because it was so boring."




                    [Merriam-Webster]



                    : continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition : the action or condition or an instance of persevering : STEADFASTNESS



                    // She will always be fondly remembered for her perseverance and determination with a 'never give up' attitude.
                    — Hartford Courant, courant.com, "Ann Kelly," 14 July 2018




                    Note that perseverance applies to overcoming more things than just boredom. But I am unaware of any word that specifically means perseverance in the face of boredom.



                    Courage might specifically mean perseverance in the face of fear, but courage can also apply to an action that lasts for mere seconds. When spending hours reading a boring book, it's the quality of sustained effort that's relevant. Even if reading a few pages is a chore, you can't really be said to have perseverance (or overcome your boredom) if you give up after those few pages.







                    share|improve this answer












                    share|improve this answer



                    share|improve this answer










                    answered Dec 2 at 15:07









                    Jason Bassford

                    15k31941




                    15k31941






















                        up vote
                        0
                        down vote













                        Psychologists might talk about this in terms of (behavioral or academic) self-regulation (see Wikipedia), which is the ability to make ourselves do things we'd rather not (or stop ourselves doing things we'd rather). It's not limited to boredom, though; you also need self-regulation to overcome distaste or anxiety, as well as to avoid temptation.



                        Two highly relevant components of self-regulation are motivation and self-control or willpower. It might sound like the latter is the same thing as self-regulation, but all the willpower in the world isn't going to get you through that boring book if you don't have a good reason to read it (and conversely, very high motivation probably won't get you there if you lack all willpower).



                        Some examples of use:




                        “I characterize boredom as a deficiency in self-regulation,” Danckert [a cognitive neuro-scientist who studies boredom] says.




                        —Maggie Koerth-Baker, "Why Boredom Is Anything but Boring", Scientific American, January 18, 2016




                        Boredom in the Classroom: Addressing Student Motivation, Self-Regulation, and Engagement in Learning




                        —Gayle L. Macklem, SpringerBriefs in Psychology, 2015




                        Many important learning tasks feel uninteresting and tedious to learners. This research proposed that promoting a prosocial, self-transcendent purpose could improve academic self-regulation on such tasks.




                        —David S. Yeager et al., "Boring but Important: A Self-Transcendent Purpose for Learning Fosters
                        Academic Self-Regulation", Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2014, Vol. 107, No. 4, 559 –580 (quote is from the abstract; full PDF here)






                        share|improve this answer

























                          up vote
                          0
                          down vote













                          Psychologists might talk about this in terms of (behavioral or academic) self-regulation (see Wikipedia), which is the ability to make ourselves do things we'd rather not (or stop ourselves doing things we'd rather). It's not limited to boredom, though; you also need self-regulation to overcome distaste or anxiety, as well as to avoid temptation.



                          Two highly relevant components of self-regulation are motivation and self-control or willpower. It might sound like the latter is the same thing as self-regulation, but all the willpower in the world isn't going to get you through that boring book if you don't have a good reason to read it (and conversely, very high motivation probably won't get you there if you lack all willpower).



                          Some examples of use:




                          “I characterize boredom as a deficiency in self-regulation,” Danckert [a cognitive neuro-scientist who studies boredom] says.




                          —Maggie Koerth-Baker, "Why Boredom Is Anything but Boring", Scientific American, January 18, 2016




                          Boredom in the Classroom: Addressing Student Motivation, Self-Regulation, and Engagement in Learning




                          —Gayle L. Macklem, SpringerBriefs in Psychology, 2015




                          Many important learning tasks feel uninteresting and tedious to learners. This research proposed that promoting a prosocial, self-transcendent purpose could improve academic self-regulation on such tasks.




                          —David S. Yeager et al., "Boring but Important: A Self-Transcendent Purpose for Learning Fosters
                          Academic Self-Regulation", Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2014, Vol. 107, No. 4, 559 –580 (quote is from the abstract; full PDF here)






                          share|improve this answer























                            up vote
                            0
                            down vote










                            up vote
                            0
                            down vote









                            Psychologists might talk about this in terms of (behavioral or academic) self-regulation (see Wikipedia), which is the ability to make ourselves do things we'd rather not (or stop ourselves doing things we'd rather). It's not limited to boredom, though; you also need self-regulation to overcome distaste or anxiety, as well as to avoid temptation.



                            Two highly relevant components of self-regulation are motivation and self-control or willpower. It might sound like the latter is the same thing as self-regulation, but all the willpower in the world isn't going to get you through that boring book if you don't have a good reason to read it (and conversely, very high motivation probably won't get you there if you lack all willpower).



                            Some examples of use:




                            “I characterize boredom as a deficiency in self-regulation,” Danckert [a cognitive neuro-scientist who studies boredom] says.




                            —Maggie Koerth-Baker, "Why Boredom Is Anything but Boring", Scientific American, January 18, 2016




                            Boredom in the Classroom: Addressing Student Motivation, Self-Regulation, and Engagement in Learning




                            —Gayle L. Macklem, SpringerBriefs in Psychology, 2015




                            Many important learning tasks feel uninteresting and tedious to learners. This research proposed that promoting a prosocial, self-transcendent purpose could improve academic self-regulation on such tasks.




                            —David S. Yeager et al., "Boring but Important: A Self-Transcendent Purpose for Learning Fosters
                            Academic Self-Regulation", Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2014, Vol. 107, No. 4, 559 –580 (quote is from the abstract; full PDF here)






                            share|improve this answer












                            Psychologists might talk about this in terms of (behavioral or academic) self-regulation (see Wikipedia), which is the ability to make ourselves do things we'd rather not (or stop ourselves doing things we'd rather). It's not limited to boredom, though; you also need self-regulation to overcome distaste or anxiety, as well as to avoid temptation.



                            Two highly relevant components of self-regulation are motivation and self-control or willpower. It might sound like the latter is the same thing as self-regulation, but all the willpower in the world isn't going to get you through that boring book if you don't have a good reason to read it (and conversely, very high motivation probably won't get you there if you lack all willpower).



                            Some examples of use:




                            “I characterize boredom as a deficiency in self-regulation,” Danckert [a cognitive neuro-scientist who studies boredom] says.




                            —Maggie Koerth-Baker, "Why Boredom Is Anything but Boring", Scientific American, January 18, 2016




                            Boredom in the Classroom: Addressing Student Motivation, Self-Regulation, and Engagement in Learning




                            —Gayle L. Macklem, SpringerBriefs in Psychology, 2015




                            Many important learning tasks feel uninteresting and tedious to learners. This research proposed that promoting a prosocial, self-transcendent purpose could improve academic self-regulation on such tasks.




                            —David S. Yeager et al., "Boring but Important: A Self-Transcendent Purpose for Learning Fosters
                            Academic Self-Regulation", Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2014, Vol. 107, No. 4, 559 –580 (quote is from the abstract; full PDF here)







                            share|improve this answer












                            share|improve this answer



                            share|improve this answer










                            answered Dec 2 at 18:08









                            1006a

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