#247: The Pleasure of Limits, the Uses of Boredom, and the Antidote to Excessive Irony

The Art of Manliness

Society & Culture, Education, Philosophy

4.7 • 14.8K Ratings

🗓️ 28 October 2016

⏱️ 60 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Thanks to digital technology, modern life often promises us a world full of limitless possibilities where you’ll never have to be bored again. But what if that promise of limitlessness and freedom actually contributes to our lives feeling dull, flat, and full of anxiety? What if embracing constraints and even boredom can give our lives more texture and heft?
That’s what my guest today argues in his book Play Anything: The Pleasure of Limits, the Uses of Boredom, and the Secret of Games. His name is Ian Bogost, he’s a professor of philosophy and, get this, a video game designer. Today on the show, Ian and I discuss why modern life can often be filled with existential angst, why we live in an age of irony that's supercharged by the internet, and how looking at the world as a metaphorical playground can help you feel more grounded and present in reality. This show is full of counterintuitive wisdom and ready-to-work tools that can help you live a more fulfilling life.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	[♪ INTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪
0:15.0	Brett McKay here and welcome to another edition of the Art of Manliness Podcast.
0:18.5	Well thanks to digital technology, modern life often promises us a world full of limitless possibilities
0:23.8	where you'll never have to be bored again.
0:26.5	But what if that promise of limitlessness and freedom?
0:29.7	Actually contributes to our lives feeling dull, flat, and full of anxiety.
0:33.7	And what if embracing constraints and even boredom can give our lives more texture and heft?
0:39.2	Well that's what my guest today argues in his book Play Anything.
0:41.8	His name is Ian Bogos, he's a professor of philosophy, and get this, a video game designer.
0:47.2	Today in the show, Ian and I discuss why modern life often can be filled with existential
0:51.4	links, why we live in an age of irony that's supercharged by the internet.
0:55.2	And how looking at the world as a metaphorical playground can help you feel more grounded
0:58.8	and present in reality.
1:00.1	The show is full of counterintuitive wisdom and ready to work tools that can help you
1:03.0	live a more fulfilling life.
1:04.5	After the show is over, check out the show notes at aum.is slash bogos that's spelled
1:08.8	be-o-g-o-s-t.
1:09.8	[♪ INTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪
1:13.8	Ian Bogos, welcome to the show.
1:15.5	Thank you so much, I'm glad to be here.
1:18.0	So you got a great book out called Play Anything.
1:21.2	The pleasures of limits, the uses of boredom and the secret of games.
	...

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