Boredom vs Needing to Be Productive

[Cuddly McFluffles]

How does one tell the difference? I know Rationals, both EJ and IJ, who cannot relax and sit still for very long; they have to be doing something. Then I know other people who don't have to be 'working' or 'productive', per se, but who need something to keep them occupied (mentally or physically). How does this relate to temperament or functions?

If this is hard to understand, please ask for clarification. My mind's a bit out of it at the moment.

[ClownsandEntropy]

It doesn't strike me as something that is type related, as I can be bored and need something to occupy myself, or I can feel the need to be productive, depending on my current mood. That being said, I do think I more often feel the need to be productive, but "being productive" can be as unimportant as reading through the masses of tabs I have opened. It could be type related: possibly certain types would be more likely to feel bored than unproductive, and needing to do something productive does strike me as something rational types would be more likely to do.

[Galen]

If I don't have some sort of prominent responsibility to upkeep, then I feel very, uhm ... not so much bored as just unimportant. So what I do is make sure I have some sort of productive project to do, whether it be work, learning something, set up a long-term goal, etc. I'm very driven by my sense of responsibility, and if without that I feel useless. My ISFp mom is the same way, she has to feel useful and productive too.

In response to OP's question, I wouldn't think it's all that type related; well, at least not sociotype related.

[Marie84]

Could be needing Super-id validation....?

[Cuddly McFluffles]

Could be needing Super-id validation....?

?

[Cuddly McFluffles]

Bump.

[ashlesha]

as far as doing nothing, i can't just sit and watch the clouds or channel-flip, or do something without actual impetus(?) behind it, its too boring. but i can easily sit for hours on the internet because its more interactive. or watching movies that i've selected and decided to watch.

as far as productivity, if i let things slide for a couple days (housecleaning, errands, etc) i get lethargic and depressed and its pretty necessary for me to get at least a little bit done everyday. but its not really a matter of doing it so much as having it done. like, i don't get my satisfaction from washing the dishes, i get my satisfaction from having done them.

[ScarlettLux]

I think I relate more to always having to stave off "boredom" in some way. I am actually always doing that in life - trying to run away from feelings of depression that stem from boredom and/or loneliness. I also multi-task like a mufucka - can't EVER do only one thing at once unless I'm forced to, like watching a movie in a theatre and even then my mind isn't ever completely all there it seems. My Ni-IEI ex would hate that I couldn't pay attention fully to something we were watching together and always wanted to talk.

I always tend to hold goals in my mind kind of like floating around knowing that they have to get done, but I don't necessarily have to do them in any rigid order or time like I think an IxxJ might. I never forget though, and I feel I have a sort of haphazard organization to my activities and thoughts.

I can DEFINITELY sit still though LOL ... I'm actually quite lazy in that respect where I can sit and talk for hours .. not having to be like GOGOGO! But my MIND needs to be preoccupied. Mainly with people.

I don't know what I am anymore, EIE, IEI, ?

[DirectorAbbie]

Boredom vs Being Productive

I can do both at once. Where's the conflict here?

[willekeurig]

I can do both at once. Where's the conflict here?

Yeah, I don't see it either. But I can't do them both at once, at least not for a very long time. I'm allergic to boredom and too often being productive turns out boring. I'm probably one of the most unproductive people on here, being a jobless, uneducated bum that considers taking out the trash an achievement worth acknowledgement. It's often so that the things you have to do or the ones that would be profitable in long-term are simply too dull or you lost motivation after some time. But yeah I definitely need something that inspires me to keep me occupied; other people and interesting places and events to visit, new hobbies etc..

[krieger]

i mostly just want to be mentally engaged with something meaningful.

[ambivalent existence]

How does one tell the difference? I know Rationals, both EJ and IJ, who cannot relax and sit still for very long; they have to be doing something. Then I know other people who don't have to be 'working' or 'productive', per se, but who need something to keep them occupied (mentally or physically). How does this relate to temperament or functions?

If this is hard to understand, please ask for clarification. My mind's a bit out of it at the moment.

I can sit for a while but then I get bored of that, feel too low energy that way. So I just need something to occupy me. It can be internet sure, but that also makes me feel too low energy after a while, because it's still just sitting and achieving nothing. Actually getting up and getting around is better. If it happens to be something productive, even better, because that makes me feel I've actually done something "real". It's ok though if it is not simply productive, as long as it's still some kind of achievement, having done whatever. The bigger achievement, the better. The process to that end itself is not necessarily interesting, often it is not an interesting activity at all, just my motivation to get something at the end keeps me interested. I basically view it as a challenge to keep up motivation. Of course it's better when the process is interesting in itself, but fundamentally still viewed as a challenge to get a goal. That may be some basic human desire, but in my case it seems to determine my life.

I'm supposed to be EP temperament if that helps. Sure, sometimes it's more IJ, depends on situation/activity/task, but I think my "default" is EP, because even if I do something in IJ fashion it'll still have a tendency to become EP-ish sooner or later.. Though, I will go back to slow-but-steady IJ when that's more productive in keeping going, that is if it helps preserve some energy to be able to finish/achieve something. This basically means in some activities IJ mode is a better way for me to (carefully) expend my energy and still keep on track. But overall, EP > IJ, for sure.

[Suz]

If I don't have some sort of prominent responsibility to upkeep, then I feel very, uhm ... not so much bored as just unimportant. So what I do is make sure I have some sort of productive project to do, whether it be work, learning something, set up a long-term goal, etc. I'm very driven by my sense of responsibility, and if without that I feel useless. My ISFp mom is the same way, she has to feel useful and productive too.

In response to OP's question, I wouldn't think it's all that type related; well, at least not sociotype related.

I relate x100000

[anndelise]

Yeah, I don't see it either. But I can't do them both at once, at least not for a very long time. I'm allergic to boredom and too often being productive turns out boring. I'm probably one of the most unproductive people on here, being a jobless, uneducated bum that considers taking out the trash an achievement worth acknowledgement. It's often so that the things you have to do or the ones that would be profitable in long-term are simply too dull or you lost motivation after some time. But yeah I definitely need something that inspires me to keep me occupied; other people and interesting places and events to visit, new hobbies etc..

Not the most...i'd probably fit in there with ya. (on disability, no college, gets excited at productivity level if actually FINISHES the dishes)

i do need mental stimulation, but cannot focus on one thing for too long or too intensely before getting distracted. And it has to have some kind of value for me before I can even begin to focus on it. Impulse control and ease of distractability...and desire to change things around...leads to rarely, if ever, finishing anything...which leads to being perceived as, and feeling, unproductive. And when I do finish something, no matter how small...I get so excited that I want to share my happiness and proud-of-myselfness...but alas, it's too boring a topic to actually talk about with others.

The sucky part is that I judge myself based on my level of productivity. And when asked "what,s up" or "how are you"... I will respond by listing the things I've been working on and how far I've made it so far.

[Cuddly McFluffles]

I can do both at once. Where's the conflict here?

By omitting certain words, you're answering a question I didn't ask. The original question is how to distinguish between people who feel the need to do stuff because they are bored versus people who feel the need to do stuff because they need to feel productive, and how this might be socionically related.

[Red Villain]

As an IP, a large sense of my self-worth revolves around productive activity. Even if I'm relaxing I usually need to accompany it with research, or making music etc.

I don't think things like dealing with boredom are necessarily type related, neither is the need to be productive. Albeit, I'm almost inclined to think the focus of being productive is characteristic of valuing types.

[DirectorAbbie]

By omitting certain words, you're answering a question I didn't ask. The original question is how to distinguish between people who feel the need to do stuff because they are bored versus people who feel the need to do stuff because they need to feel productive, and how this might be socionically related.

I need to be productive, even if it's not a major accomplishment. Boredom is optional.