The Disease of Boredom: From Ancient Philosophy to Modern Psychology

A transformative exploration of a painful emotion

Boredom visits all of us at some point. Sometimes it is fleeting. Other times it is deep, lasting, or profound. We even experience it in groups. Boredom can be so intolerable that some are willing to do almost anything just to escape it. In this provocative and eloquently argued book, Josefa Ros Velasco invites us to listen to the voice of boredom, explore the reasons behind it, and allow it to guide our actions and return us to a place of satisfaction.

Shedding light on a universal yet misunderstood aspect of the human experience, Ros Velasco shows how boredom is a phenomenon that torments us when reality does not meet our expectations. While it has been described as an illness of the soul and even as a pathological condition, boredom is only a symptom. Its purpose, Ros Velasco argues, is to notify us that our relationship with our surroundings is damaged, and to compel us to identify the root of the problem and address it. Along the way, she explores the cultural and intellectual history of boredom, tracing how philosophers, theologians, literary figures, and clinicians have contended with this unpleasant, sometimes tortuous state of mind.

Drawing insights from thinkers ranging from Horace and Augustine to Goethe, Kierkegaard, and Heidegger, The Disease of Boredom explains boredom as an emotional call to action and advocates for a radical change in how we perceive and deal with tedium.

Author: Josefa Ros Velasco
Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Published: 05/26/2026
Pages: 248
Weight: 1lbs
Size: 8.60h x 5.70w x 1.20d
ISBN: 9780691266619