Boredom May Be The Father (Or At Least First Cousin) Of Invention

As the old saying goes: “Necessity is the mother of invention.” I agree, but as a remedial class in biology will tell you, if there is a mother, there must also be a father. Necessity alone is not enough. It takes two to tango.

Necessity is a major driving force behind invention, but mostly behind very useful and meaningful inventions. This holds true for fire, the wheel and the light bulb, but what of less important inventions? Laziness was a factor in the invention of the remote control. Greed invented the slot machine. Accidents have even produced valuable inventions, per legend, like penicillin and The Monkees.

But which name appears on the birth certificate of invention? What factor should be deemed the father?

I would have to argue that the second most important influence on innovation is boredom. Somebody is sitting around, bored out of their mind and an idea pops into their head. Then, they are so desperate to have something to do that they pour themselves into creating this new thing.

Sometimes, due to such advanced boredom, said invention is just a way to fill up the time that was previously spent being bored. Most sports are a great example of this. Were it not for boredom, I dare say we would not have a single sport. Certainly, there was no secret board room meeting between wealthy men who controlled society behind the scenes to dream up a sport.

“We need to have an excuse to sit around on our asses and drink beer while we watch people play a game for three hours at a time during the summer.”

“I think I’ve got something here. I call it Baseball.”

I think this holds true for most games in general. Monopoly was not made to encourage future real estate agents or bankers from an early age. The game of Life is not an actual way to practice for life. Hungry Hungry Hippos was not developed as a tool for…well, exactly, there is no other possible reason to play Hungry Hungry Hippos.

I think most simple pen and paper games were invented by someone who was so bored that they just wanted to find something to do with the pen beside jab themselves in the brain with it. Tic-tac-toe and the dot game were obviously created while somebody got stuck for a very long period of time, most likely in a doctor’s waiting room, without a book or magazine. Or by a frazzled parent who needed to occupy some kids.

“We only have a pen and paper? Okay, I know. Here are a series of lines and I’m going to figure out something for you to do with them so that you’ll shut up and I don’t strangle you.”

Solitaire was most likely developed by someone stranded in a cabin in the wilderness. Or perhaps by someone who was so obnoxious or smelly that nobody else would play cards with them. The deck of cards in general was, no doubt, created with the possibility of making up time passing games.

Yes, the cotton gin and the printing press were concocted by great minds looking to further the world. But certain things take boredom.

You need a mother and a father for some inventions. A mother takes care of your needs. She provides you with food and clothing. She carries you with her for months doing so. Then your father figures out junk for you to do keeps you from driving your mother crazy.

I think invention comes from a two-parent home.