Earlier: "... your obsession with our mailing list..."
I think that calling someone else's contributions "obsessive" merely identifies ourselves as intolerant, bored, or recalcitrant.
I think the case here is "bored".
I believe that the word "boredom" first entered our vocabulary in the mid 1800s - quite recently, culture versus evolution wise. Apparently, before that, people generally found things to do with themselves. Now, we don't have time for anyone who doesn't entertain us!
Good reading at: http://www.answers.com/boredom (1,553 words from Wikipedia included!)
Earlier: "... your obsession with our mailing list..."
I think that calling someone else's contributions "obsessive" merely identifies ourselves as intolerant, bored, or recalcitrant.
I think the case here is "bored".
on 9/26/07 1:19 PM, Monahon, Peter B. at Peter.Monahon@USPTO.GOV wrote:
I believe that the word "boredom" first entered our vocabulary in the mid 1800s - quite recently, culture versus evolution wise. Apparently, before that, people generally found things to do with themselves. Now, we don't have time for anyone who doesn't entertain us!
:-) Well put, Peter.
Marc
On 26/09/2007, Monahon, Peter B. Peter.Monahon@uspto.gov wrote:
I believe that the word "boredom" first entered our vocabulary in the mid 1800s - quite recently, culture versus evolution wise. Apparently, before that, people generally found things to do with themselves. Now, we don't have time for anyone who doesn't entertain us!
'May you lead an interesting life' is considered a curse.
I envy bored people.
On 26/09/2007, Armed Blowfish diodontida.armata@googlemail.com wrote:
On 26/09/2007, Monahon, Peter B. Peter.Monahon@uspto.gov wrote:
I believe that the word "boredom" first entered our vocabulary in the mid 1800s - quite recently, culture versus evolution wise. Apparently, before that, people generally found things to do with themselves. Now, we don't have time for anyone who doesn't entertain us!
'May you lead an interesting life' is considered a curse.
I envy bored people.
Your contribution to our happiness is to bore us with your repetitive drivel, is it?
On 26/09/2007, James Farrar james.farrar@gmail.com wrote:
On 26/09/2007, Armed Blowfish diodontida.armata@googlemail.com wrote:
'May you lead an interesting life' is considered a curse.
I envy bored people.
Your contribution to our happiness is to bore us with your repetitive drivel, is it?
No. My contribution to your potential happiness is to suggest how you might help Wikipaedians avoid getting attacked.
If you are bored by this, I envy you. Being bored is much better than pain, which is quite interesting.
Monahon, Peter B. wrote:
I believe that the word "boredom" first entered our vocabulary in the mid 1800s - quite recently, culture versus evolution wise. Apparently, before that, people generally found things to do with themselves. Now, we don't have time for anyone who doesn't entertain us!
Good reading at: http://www.answers.com/boredom (1,553 words from Wikipedia included!)
Did you bother to read your reference? "Boredom (languor, neurasthenia) was one of the dark humors of ancient medicine..." is hard to reconcile with your belief. "It became the ailment of the era during the Romantic period, as typified by Françpois-René de Chateau-briand...." M. Chateau-briand died in 1848; one can assume he did his typifying before his dying.
However, the basic assumption, that I am bored with this thread, is a good one. My "Del" key has been used so often it has become a "[ |" key.