How boredom can lead to your most brilliant ideas
6,460,184 views | Manoush Zomorodi • TED2017
Do you sometimes have your most creative ideas while folding laundry, washing dishes or doing nothing in particular? It's because when your body goes on autopilot, your brain gets busy forming new neural connections that connect ideas and solve problems. Learn to love being bored as Manoush Zomorodi explains the connection between spacing out and creativity.
Do you sometimes have your most creative ideas while folding laundry, washing dishes or doing nothing in particular? It's because when your body goes on autopilot, your brain gets busy forming new neural connections that connect ideas and solve problems. Learn to love being bored as Manoush Zomorodi explains the connection between spacing out and creativity.
This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.
About the speaker
As the host of the "TED Radio Hour," Manoush Zomorodi explores fascinating ideas, astonishing inventions and new ways to think and create with the world's most remarkable minds.
Peter Toohey | Yale University Press, 2012 | Book
Boredom: A Lively History
Boredom’s roots and why it’s vital to the human experience.
Sandi Mann | Robinson, 2017 | Book
The Upside of Downtime
"Note to Self" | Manoush Zomorodi in conversation with Sandi Mann | Listen
"The Case for Boredom"
To research boredom, University of Central Lancashire psychology professor Sandi Mann subjects her research participants to extremely boring situations. Despite her methodologies, Sandi is really interesting and fun. This was the original episode that launched the Bored and Brilliant project, when the show was called New Tech City.
Daniel Levitin | Dutton, 2015 | Book
The Organized Mind
"Note to Self" | Manoush Zomorodi in conversation with Daniel Levitin | Listen
"Spring Cleaning for the Mind"
What I love about Daniel Levitin is that he explains the brain’s mechanics but also recommends easy, actionable ways to improve basic everyday tasks, like better utilize your to-do list. I organize my life according to what he told me in this podcast.
Alex Soojung-Kim Pang | Little, Brown, and Company, 2013 | Book
The Distraction Addiction
"Note to Self" | Manoush in conversation with Alex Soojung-Kim Pang | Listen
"In Your Pocket"
Alex is a visiting scholar at Stanford University who used to be a technology forecaster and futurist in Silicon Valley think-tanks. This book is a precursor to his current passion: rest and how it improves work.
Nir Eyal | Portfolio, 2015 | Book
Hooked
"Note to Self" | Manoush in conversation with Nir Eyal and David Hohusen | Listen
"An Apology to Our Listeners Because Two Dots"
A tech and gaming industry insider, Nir Eyal explains how digital products hook us and manipulate our behavior through design and feedback. In this episode, Nir explains my irrational behavior around a certain game on my phone.
"Note to Self" | Manoush Zomorodi in conversation with Tristan Harris | Listen
"Will You Do A Snapchat Streak With Me?"
Tristan Harris, founder of Time Well Spent, also recently gave a TED talk. He’s a techie with a conscience and heart.
Antonio Garcia Martinez | Harper, 2016 | Book
Chao Monkeys
"Note to Self" | Manoush in conversation with Antonio Garcia Martinez | Listen
"The Man Who Invented Facebook Ad Tracking is Not Sorry"
Antonio Garcia Martinez was a product manager at Facebook, was fired/resigned, and then wrote a tell-all. He is entertaining, immensely good at explaining how Silicon Valley works and refuses to apologize for his own questionable behavior.
Sherry Turkle | Penguin Books, 2016 | Book
Reclaiming Conversation
"Note to Self" | Manoush in conversation with Sherry Turkle | Listen
"Even a Silent Phone Disconnects Us"
Sherry is the founder and director of the MIT Initiative on Technology and Self. In addition to her academic credentials, I would add thoughtful, wise, and caring. Her books are inspiring, whether or not you agree with the conclusions she draws from studying digital culture for over 30 years.
Golden Krishna | New Riders, 2015 | Book
The Best Interface is No Interface
"Note to Self" | Manoush in conversation with Golden Krishna | Listen
"We Got Bored"
Golden is a thoughtful tech maker and critic who truly wants our digital worlds to be better built so that they improve our lives, rather than enslave us.
Scott Barry Kaufman and Carolyn Gregoire | TarcherPerigee, 2016 | Book
Wired to Create
"Note to Self" | Manoush in conversation with Scott Barry Kaufman | Listen
"What 95 Minutes of Phone Time a Day Does to Us"
Highly creative people have “highly messy” minds, say psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman and writer Carolyn Gregoire. This book goes into further neuroscience, psychology, and good creative habits. I also really love a piece they wrote for the Harvard Business Review: "Executives, Protect Your Alone Time."
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi | Harper Perennial, 2013 | Book
Flow
This classic explains that wonderful feeling we can have when we lose track of time and get lost in an engaging task. Boredom can be a portal to “flow.”
Cal Newport | Grand Central Publishing, 2016 | Book
Deep Work
"Note to Self" | Listen
"What We Learned When 25,000 People Tried to Fight Information Overload"
Cal is a computer scientist by trade but very good at explaining why readers should trade their skimmable, busy work for the deeper, harder (and more effective in the long term) work.
Doug Rushkoff | Portfolio, 2016 | Book
Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus
"Note to Self" | Manoush in conversation with Doug Rushkoff | Listen
"Why You Feel More Productive But the Economy Isn’t"
Doug weaves together the history of media, economics, and technology in a way that explains current society’s systemic problems and potential solutions. Is he a socialist? Nah. Doug says he just on Team Human. And we need to understand the past so we can build a better future.
Learn more
This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.