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Something You Should Know

Can You Be Bored to Death? & Why Thrill Seekers Seek Thrills

Something You Should Know

Mike Carruthers | OmniCastMedia

Science, Self-improvement, Social Sciences, Health & Fitness, Education

4.54.3K Ratings

🗓️ 11 August 2025

⏱️ 50 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What if you were convinced you got a good night’s sleep even if you didn’t? It turns out what you believe can actually determine if you do or don’t feel tired the next day. How can this possibly be true? This episode starts with an explanation which could be very useful one day when you didn’t sleep well. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24417326/ Many times in your life you have felt totally bored. What exactly is boredom? Is it a feeling or maybe it is a lack of a feeling? Does feeling bored ever serve a purpose? Then there is that phrase, “I’m bored to death.” Can that actually happen – death by boredom? Here for a fascinating discussion on the topic of boredom is psychologist James Danckert, author of the book, Out of My Skull: The Psychology of Boredom (https://amzn.to/3ePmnsq). On one end of the scale are thrill seekers and daredevils who jump out of airplanes or climb dangerous mountains. On the other end of the scale are people who would rather stay home and read a book by the fire. What is the difference? What cause thrill seekers to do what they do? What is it they gain from those experiences? That is what Ken Carter is here to reveal. Ken is a board-certified clinical psychologist and professor of psychology at Oxford College of Emory University and author of the book Buzz!: Inside the Minds of Thrill-Seekers, Daredevils, and Adrenaline Junkies (https://amzn.to/35FIwCn) One day your car’s check engine light will come on. It’s a pretty vague warning that doesn’t tell you much. What could it be? Sometimes it’s nothing. In fact, often it is nothing. Listen as I reveal one of the most likely reasons it comes on and the simple fix. Source: Phil Edmonston author of The Lemon-Aid Car Guide (https://amzn.to/33wtJaC) PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! SHOPIFY: Shopify is the commerce platform for millions of businesses around the world! To start selling today, sign up for your $1 per month trial at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://Shopify.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ right now! QUINCE: Keep it classic and cool with long lasting staples from Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! HERS: Whether you want to lose weight, grow thicker, fuller hair, or find relief for anxiety, Hers has you covered. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forhers.com/something⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

I'm Jonathan Goldstein, and on the new season of heavyweight...

0:04.0

And so I pointed the gun at him and said this isn't a joke.

0:08.4

A man who robbed a bank when he was 14 years old.

0:11.8

And a centenarian rediscovers a love lost 80 years ago.

0:16.3

How can a 101-year- old woman fall in love again?

0:23.7

Listen to heavyweight wherever you get your podcasts.

0:32.5

Today on something you should know, you really can convince yourself you're not tired, even if you are.

0:40.0

Then, why do we get bored?

0:42.3

What is boredom and what's it trying to tell us?

0:45.5

There's two words that I think are most commonly expressed by people when they report being

0:49.0

bored, and that's agitation and restlessness.

0:51.6

And that gets back to this idea that when you're bored, you want to be doing something.

0:55.0

It's not being apathetic or lazy. You want something, but you just can't figure out what that is.

1:00.0

Also, the problem with being a perfectionist and the toll it takes on your health.

1:06.0

And daredevils, thrill seekers, why do they do what they do? I think a lot of people think of thrill-seeking as something a person does,

1:14.6

but I think of it as who a person is.

1:17.6

It can affect their work, it can affect the foods they like, the things they do for fun,

1:22.6

and what kind of traveling they like to do.

1:25.6

All this today on Something You Should Know.

1:31.0

Hi there, Fred Greenhalj here, director of audio dramas like DC high-volume Batman and Star Trek Con.

1:36.8

However, my one true love remains all things spooky, and I'm excited to say there's a new season of my horror podcast, Undertoe.

1:43.2

This season is called Familiar Haunts,

...

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