The Case for Engaging with Bullshit and Nonsense

I make my kids bored on purpose. They start fighting the boredom; invent games, build strange worlds, create structure out of nothing. Boredom fuels them.

And they will do that until they get access to the internet. We have worked hard to optimize boredom away. The moment it appears, we numb it -- doomscrolling through endless content designed to be frictionless, inoffensive, and forgettable.

You (reader) and I are adults. We should have values and priorities in our lives. Boredom, for us, comes from not engaging with the world on our own terms. How does this happen? There are a million things you can do right now, and you chose to read my nonsense. Why are you seeking nonsense?

If you think for a second, you will realize that we are taught to avoid both bullshit and nonsense.

Bullshit is friction that gets in your way, the pointless rules and bad design, purposefully or accidentally made to waste your time and make your life harder. Nonsense is friction that gets in your head, things that make you uncomfortable, confused, or irritated.

We were told to mute it, block it, stay comfortable. But that comes at a cost: you remove the very things that provoke a reaction.

Anger is good.

I am not talking about blind rage, constant outrage, or hatred, but a good ol' fashioned, life-affirming anger. That sharp moment when something feels wrong:

"Why is this system so broken?" "Why does this even exist?" "This is stupid."

Real life bullshit that makes you want to fix things, and nonsense that makes you want to argue, rethink, respond. Pull yourself out of passivity. Engaging even with things that annoy you is a form of taking it back.

The best outcome is you getting new ideas, acquiring new values, and changing your life radically. The worst case is that you quench your boredom, engage with the world on your own terms, and rise against adversity.

Either way, you will walk away with a new story to tell, one that isn't about grievance or passive observation, but a classic hero's tale: you in the arena, struggling, resisting, and ultimately overcoming.

Thank you for engaging with my nonsense.