Why Boredom Destroys Traders: Lessons From the Harvard Shock Experiment
Overtrading often isn’t about opportunity — it’s about escaping boredom. Here’s how to fix it.
This might seem off-piste… but stick with me, the trading link will become obvious.
Humans HATE being bored.
In a Harvard experiment, people were asked to sit in a room for 6–15 minutes with nothing to do but think.
Many found it so unbearable… they preferred to give themselves electric shocks rather than sit quietly.
Yep. Actual f*cking shocks. 
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BOREDOM
Turns out our brains are hardwired to escape boredom.
In daily life, you grab your phone.
But that’s weakness disguised as a solution… a habit that kills focus when you need it most.
Every scroll hardwires the wrong neurons.
So when you’re at the desk, that “itch” shows up as:
A cheeky scalp A forced entry A meddled trade
All just to make the boredom go away.
And nine times out of ten?
It costs you…
The real edge is learning to be OK with boredom. To sit. To wait. To hold.
Harvard Professor Arthur Brooks nails this in a brilliant short video. Why boredom is essential, and how to train your brain not to sabotage itself.
If you’re an over-trader, a meddler, or just a boredom trader, this might be the best 6 minutes you’ll ever spend: