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THE FEELING OF BEING BORING. Norman Reider, M.D.
While the feeling of being bored has a universality with fairly definite dynamic background, this study reveals that a feeling of being boring is not as universal in its meaning. In the first place, some people who feel they are boring to others are actually not so. Second, the aggressive component of being boring to others was found to be not as consistent a feature of the feeling as might be speculated. Frequently the patient's own interpretation of being boring as being hostile is a defense against positive feelings. If one directs the interest in the feeling of being boring to bodily sensations, they often lead to feelings of emptiness, coldness, inadequacy, and generally to a feeling of inability to influence objects in order to obtain necessary narcissistic supplies.
Along with other affects like shame and disgust, the feeling of boredom has a specific quality; but their counterparts, namely, to be ashamed or to be disgusting or to be boring, have a quality which is much more variable and may have multiple meanings.