You *CAN* be "bored to death"

"Bored to death" is a common expression, especially for anyone who has spent time at the DMV. But a new study indicates it may not be just an expression. It may be scientific fact.

Those who reported feeling a great deal of boredom were 37 per cent more likely to have died by the end of the study, the researchers found.

Scientists said that this could be a result of those unhappy with their lives turning to such unhealthy habits as smoking or drinking, which would cut their life expectancy.

"The findings on heart disease show there was sufficient evidence to say there is a link with boredom," the Courier Mail quoted researcher Martin Shipley, who co-wrote the report, as saying.

I can't help thinking about the many anecdotal stories of in excellent health dying suddenly after retirement. Without a feeling of purpose, humans seem to quickly lose a reason to live.