Happiness In an Age of Boredom

Last updated on: August 14, 2026 at 1:44 pm by Richard E. Simmons III

Happiness In an Age of Boredom 2026-08-14T13:44:03-06:00 Richard E. Simmons III

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I remember reading Richard Winter’s book, Still Bored in a Culture of Entertainment: Rediscovering Passion & Wonder. Winter argues that, despite having more entertainment options than any generation before us, Western culture is struggling with a deceptive disease—an epidemic of boredom. I believe he is right.

We live in a world filled with distractions, conveniences, and endless opportunities for amusement, yet many people are still asking the same question: “What will make me happy?” Winter writes:

The implication behind this question is that if we can discover the secret to happiness then we will not be miserable or bored. In a survey at the University of Michigan, people were asked what would improve the quality of their lives. One answer stood out above the others: more money. In poor countries, having money to meet basic needs for food, shelter and social contact does make people happier. But beyond that, in countries where most people can afford basic necessities of life, there is a very weak correlation between income and happiness. The more people have, the more they want.

Most of us evaluate our possessions and life styles by comparing ourselves with those who have more than us. We cannot deny that money does bring some happiness and is very convenient and helpful, but it too easily dominates our lives. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi writes, “As is true of addiction in general, material rewards at first enrich the quality of life. Because of this, we tend to conclude that more must be better. But life is rarely linear; in most cases, what is good in small quantities becomes commonplace and then harmful in larger doses.” There are hidden costs that do not become apparent immediately. Csikszentmihalyi comments that as people become increasingly materialistic, their “sensitivity to other reward” begins to “atrophy.” They become bored with things that are not immediately connected to making or spending money.

Friendship, art, literature, natural beauty, religion and philosophy become less and less interesting. The Swedish economist Stephen Linder was the first to point out that as income and, therefore, the value of one’s time increases, it becomes less and less “rational” to spend it on anything besides making money—or on spending it conspicuously. The economic cost of playing with one’s child, reading poetry or attending a family reunion become too high, and so one stops doing such irrational things. Eventually a person who only responds to material rewards becomes blind to any other kind and loses the ability to derive happiness from other sources.

Winter’s central point is that happiness is a by-product, not a goal to be pursued directly. I agree with him. In the work I do with men, I have found that the kind of man you become ultimately determines much of what you will experience in life—including your capacity for genuine happiness.

God never intended happiness to be the ultimate goal of life. Instead, happiness is a by-product of becoming a man of strong character, deep wisdom, and genuine love—someone capable of building significant and lasting relationships. A meaningful life is not found in endlessly pursuing what makes us feel good or trying to eliminate every moment of boredom. It is found in becoming the kind of man God created us to be and living faithfully at the center of His will.

Richard E Simmons III is the founder and Executive Director of The Center for Executive Leadership and a best-selling author.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

August 7, 2026

The Demise of Civilizations

Next Post

August 21, 2026 Ultimate Validation

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Character Development Inspiration Leadership Life Purpose Personal Growth Relationships Seeking God Spiritual Truth The Bible True Masculinity Uncategorized Wisdom

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who conquered Jerusalem and made it his capital?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Hezekiah David Saul Solomon