#ennui — Public Fediverse posts

A quotation from Montesquieu

To delight in reading is to trade life’s dreary moments for moments of pure joy.
 
[Aimer à lire, c’est faire un échange des heures d’ennui que l’lon doit avoir en sa vie contre des heures délicieuses.]

Charles-Lewis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu (1689–1755) French political philosopher
Pensées Diverses [Assorted Thoughts], # 1632 / 1143 (1720-1755) [ed. Guterman (1963)]

More about (and translations of) this quote: wist.info/montesquieu/78314/

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #montesquieu #pensees #books #boredom #delight #dreariness #ennui #entertainment #joy #meme #pleasure #reading

Selbst Sherlock strengt sich heut nicht an.

#mastoart #sherlockholmes #ennui

Sorry for being so prolific today, but Beloved just sent me this article, and I’m only halfway through, but I know, with absolute clarity, that many of my pocket friends will resonate. #ennui #burnout #TechExistentialism #SelfSoothing https://www.noemamag.com/why-is-everyone-in-tech-so-sad

We enjoy all the achievements of modern civilization ... yet we do not know exactly what to do with ourselves.
-- Vaclav Havel

⬆ #Wisdom #Quotes #VaclavHavel #Ennui #Modernism

⬇ #Photography #Panorama #Sand #Tracks #Iowa

Book Recommendation for Ennui Cuties:
- The Yellow Arrow
Very Short, Little Discussed, If you read it you must tell me
- Notes From Underground
Disgruntled old 18th century russian man explains why his shitty life had to happen that way; subtweets you the entire time
- The Tatami Galaxy
If Notes From Underground was about a contemporary japanese college student with time to change and grow
- Piranesi
what if the backrooms were cool and beautiful; you don't have to read the second half if you don't want
- The Mysteries
Did you know Bill Watterson is still alive? Extremely short book. Like 300 words.
- Blindsight
You've probably heard of this already; rough around the edges; what is it all for anyway
- A Roadside Picnic
Does this count? It's been a while since I read it.
- Others
Other books probably have ennui in them; share yours below

#books #bookstadon #ennui #lgbt #hatsunemiku

A quotation from La Rochefoucauld

We can forgive people who bore us, but never those whom we bore.
 
[Nous pardonnons souvent à ceux qui nous ennuient, mais nous ne pouvons pardonner à ceux que nous ennuyons.]

François VI, duc de La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680) French epigrammatist, memoirist, noble
Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶304 (1665-1678) [tr. Heard (1917), ¶311]

More about (and translations of) this quote: wist.info/la-rochefoucauld-fra…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #larochefoucauld #bore #boredom #boring #disinterest #ego #ennui #forgiveness #hypocrisy #insult #offense #pride #weariness #weary

BALLADE DES PETITES VIERGES (Jean Follain)

https://arbrealettres.wordpress.com/2026/07/07/ballade-des-petites-vierges-jean-follain/

@plinubius

Da es entsprechende Dokumentationen ja nun in Überfülle gibt, bräuchten wir Medien, die zu jedem Statement sofort seit sagen wir 1871 die entsprechenden Vorgängerwortspenden auflisten.
Aber wie die Waschmittelwerbung jede Woche Weiss neu erfindet, kann jeden Tag blümchenfrisch die Notwendigkeit der Reform des Sozialstaats behauptet werden.
#ennui

The sadness of the now ubiquitous #AirBnB decorative style. Is it a requirement or something? These are all in one house. There are many more but I can only upload four (won't allow alt text, not sure why, sorry). #AirStyle #BeigeCore #ennui #capitalism

L’ennui : ami ou ennemi?

L’ennui est-il un mal nécessaire? Et si c’était un signal d’alerte pour nous motiver à agir et mobiliser de nouveau notre attention? Des chercheurs de l’Université de Waterloo en Ontario s’intéressent à ce curieux objet d’étude qui a aussi le potentiel d’affecter notre comportement et notre état psychologique.

L’ennui : ami ou ennemi? À quoi sert-il et comment peut-il nous transformer? | Découverte

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17VGOKaVcTI&list=PLZr1y64TPtN8rC4wbxHVgSeIKMaFflPwU&index=8

Dear diary,

It is another gruelling day, depressing and dank. The sun seems grey in a dark sky, draining all colour from the world. Hope fades. Food turns to ashes in our mouths, drink satisfies no thirst. We begin to mourn for ourselves, our lives outside forgotten, our loved ones a distant memory. The very atmosphere is oppressive, still and quiet but threatening of what we know not.

It is day four.

The bunny is angry. [1]

[exeunt]

[1] small distant voice: "I'M NOT ANGRY JUST DISAPPOINTED"

#HouseRabbit #ShortFiction #ennui #pets #rabbit #bunny #fiction

Just off Spain’s Mediterranean coast lie the Balearic Islands. Among the approximately 1.2 million island residents is a cadre of musicians who appear to have played together in a variety of projects for some time.1 SolNegre comprises four of these musicians along with a handful of guest contributors. Based on the photos of the beautiful sandy beaches and clear blue water, you might think these guys would play a cheerful genre like Beach Boys-core. Yet, even the beach life must have its woes because what SolNegre deliver is a slab of melancholic doom that has more in common with My Dying Bride or Saturnus than any band playing songs about Piña coladas. Just the sight of their apocalyptic album title, Anthems for the Grand Collapse, makes me want to soak in one of those lovely beaches to rinse off the bleakness. Let’s dive in and see how well these island dwellers do the sadboi.

While the intro for opener, “The Axiom – Song for the Inert Part II,”2 reveals SolNegre’s flair for using synths to create atmosphere, the meat of the song establishes their mix of crushing My Dying Bride riffs and growls with the more energetic death/doom of Novembers Doom. A hooky melodic lead wends its way throughout, culminating in an ambitious solo that takes the lead to new levels. The incredibly catchy follow-up, “The Hollow Inside,” includes a chorus that potentially has appeal for a mainstream audience, even if the track goes off in decidedly non-mainstream directions. The flip side to the death/doom is an Ennui-level funeral doom tune that casts a pall over the already dour mood (“For All that Could Have Been”). SolNegre play sorrowful tunes in an impressively varied number of ways.

The Axiom – Song for the Inert Part 2 by SolNegre

The band members’ strong chemistry shows in their talent and cohesiveness. Ûkh lays down a powerful vocal performance with some muscular death growls. He adds heft and punch alongside an impressively bass-heavy guitar attack. Gebre proves to be the glue that adheres the record together. His deep, chugging bass features on nearly every track, and he also gets to play a nifty jazz solo midway through “The Hollow Within.” Guest contributors add some varied character throughout, such as a solo from Mike Le Rosetti that comprises almost the entire back half of “The Axiom” and some cleans from Pedro Inglés during the jazzy segue on “The Hollow Within.” SolNegre hands the reins over to recurring guest singer Gadea es Ineseta3 and violinist Núria Luis on the remarkably lovely “In the Stillness of the Womb.” Though it skews more soft rock than extreme metal, it features such poignant and affecting performances from Ineseta and Luis that it feels right at home among these anthems to a grand collapse.

20260102_224403

A few iffy songwriting decisions do keep Anthems for the Grand Collapse from greatness, however. For one, SolNegre struggle with coherent lyrics on some tracks. This is especially problematic on “The Hollow Within,” where an awkward attempt at a metaphor combining loneliness, water, and drowning leads to the laughably bad line, “A room without doors or windows / Knowing how to swim is wise.” It’s a sore part of an otherwise terrific song. Further, the hot and cold pacing creates a stuttering feel throughout the record, with a few tunes creeping too slowly and others creeping on a bit too long. “For All That Could Have Been” in particular sags in the middle of the album. Individually, the songs are good to great, but transitions between them can be jarring.

Next time you want to balance out your bright and cheery beach vacation with some downer music, you should pack SolNegre’s Anthems for the Grand Collapse. It’s sure to have you and your family looking to drown out your loneliness and sorrows in the warm, beautiful waters lapping at your toes. This has proven to be a solid sophomore effort from the Balearic Islands. I love to hear the passion on display, and even where the band shows some warts, it only makes the record all the more endearing. I hope those island beaches don’t keep these guys happy and occupied for too long so they can put out another record sooner rather than later.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Meuse Music
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Site
Releases Worldwide: April 3rd, 2026

I was about to write down a long list of all the roles and rail #DataRegulation organisations I am involved in but following a sudden attack of #ennui I will resist the urge...

Got a question for you all: when’s the last time an album just absolutely, from out of nowhere, blindsided you and kept you enthralled for the entirety of its length on the first play? I don’t mean from your favorite bands (though that’s pretty damn cool, too), but from a completely out-of-left-field pick in the promo sump?1 Georgian funeral directors Ennui have been toughing it out with their craft since 2012’s Mze Ukunisa, with the then-duo working with what they had available. Now, the duo is a full-fledged band, and on their fifth album, Qroba, they hit graveyard paydirt.

From the very first moment the keyboards swell in opener “Antinatalism,” you know you’re in for some fun(erally dismal) times. Creeping at the pace of a drugged-out snail in the Antarctic region, “Antinatalism” brilliantly glistens while also dragging you through the icy snow with its crashing (and crushing) riffs and methodical drumming. When founder David Unsaved growls, it’s with the force of the bear from Annihilation after freshly devouring Daniel Neagoe (Eye of Solitude and a fuckton of other bands), further throwing the listener into a pit of existential despair and woe. Most impressively, at over 10 minutes, the time flies by effortlessly, due to its ability to draw you in and keep you enthralled for the entire length.

The other four songs on this 62-minute behemoth hold up pretty damn well themselves. The album centerpiece “Decima,” which features mournful melodies from a panduri (three-stringed lute) that accentuate the sorrow midway into the song, giving the album even more breathing room to expand and envelop you in its snare. “Becoming Void” sounds like Canto III on steroids, picking a fight with Turn Loose the Swans-era My Dying Bride for lunch money, and again feels like a six-minute song at over 15 minutes due to how well-crafted it is. None of the songs overstay their welcome, but they still feel like soulful journeys to a mournful end.

Produced by Greg Chandler (Esoteric), Qroba does an amazing job of giving breathing space while also smothering the listener. The drums feel cavernous and monstrous, plodding with intent. The scant few leads2 amplify the dour vibes a thousandfold, making damn sure there’s no light escaping this realm. If there was a nitpick to be had, this is the epitome of mood music. You’re not going to grab this on a warm, sunny day out in the sun with some lemonade and a book to read.3 Qroba is solemn, reflective music if there ever was some.

And this fits in quite well with other solemn, reflection-time music from the likes of Skepticism and Shape of Despair. Qroba came at a time when I didn’t know I needed it, with all the chaos going on around the world as well as in my own circle, but I’m glad it did, as this has been playing non-stop since I first laid ears upon it. If you’ve never taken to funeral doom ever, Ennui won’t change your mind, as this is sorrow personified and exponentially amplified. However, if you need a severe purging, welcome to your new favorite band.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 319 kbps mp3
Label: Meuse Music Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: February 27th, 2026

"the sense of psychological ennui leading into existential dread that many software developers are feeling thanks to the encroachment of generative AI into their field of work"
Sigh. Again.

https://simonwillison.net/2026/Feb/15/deep-blue/

#AI #SoftwareDevelopment #Psychology #Ennui #Depression

A quotation from Teddy Roosevelt

Far better it is to dare mighty things, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those who neither enjoy much or suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.

Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) American politician, statesman, conservationist, writer, US President (1901–1909)
Speech (1899-04-10), “The Strenuous Life,” Hamilton Club, Chicago

More about this quote: wist.info/roosevelt-theodore/3…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #teddyroosevelt #theodoreroosevelt #action #aspiration #attempting #cause #cost #daring #defeat #ennui #failure #goals #placidity #striving #victory

I am ready to be struck with the metaphorical lightning that determines my art style. I know what I want, but it requires the one element I do not have.
#ennui
why yes, I am in the liminal transition between art projects. How could you tell?

have a bird

A quotation from George Bernard Shaw

The secret of being miserable is to have leisure to bother about whether you are happy or not. The cure for it is occupation, because occupation means pre-occupation; and the pre-occupied person is neither happy nor unhappy, but simply alive and active, which is pleasanter than any happiness until you are tired of it.

George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) Irish playwright and critic
Treatise on Parents and Children, “Children’s Happiness” (1914)

More about this quote: wist.info/shaw-george-bernard/…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #shaw #georgebernardshaw #activity #boredom #busyness #ennui #happiness #introspection #meme #misery #occupation #preoccupation #purpose #work #worry #meme

A quotation from Bertrand Russell

Work, therefore, is desirable, first and foremost, as a preventive of boredom, for the boredom that a man feels when he is doing necessary though uninteresting work is as nothing in comparison with the boredom that he feels when he has nothing to do with his days.

Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) English mathematician and philosopher
Conquest of Happiness, Part 2, ch. 14 “Work” (1930)

More about this quote: wist.info/russell-bertrand/808…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #bertrandrussell #boredom #effort #ennui #focus #todo #work #meaning #purpose

🧠 Pas de repos pour nos cerveaux ? Depuis qu'on dégaine nos smartphone à la moindre occasion, sous l'abribus et dans les salles d'attente, nos neurones peinent à trouver des moments de répit.

Car l'ennui, bien qu'on cherche à l'éviter à tout prix, nous est bénéfique. Mais à l'ère de l'hyperconnectivité, il semble désormais en voie de disparition...

https://les-enovateurs.com/fin-ennui-hyperconnexion-peril-equilibre-mental?mtm_kwd=mtdn

#hyperconnexion #ennui #santementale #numerique

Quand Rambert pense à notre place… et oublie Gaza

Une amie m’a poussé à aller voir Les conséquences de Pascal Rambert au Théâtre de la Ville. Audrey Bonnet, Anne Brochet, Stanislas Nordey et leurs camarades sont d’excellents acteurs, rien à dire de ce côté-là.
Mais mon amie m’avait vanté la fulgurance de La clôture de l’amour. Ici, 2h15 qui prétendent penser à notre place et nous assènent une collection de clichés aux relents politiques douteux.

Les références cinématographiques et théâtrales (Chris Marker, Tchekhov, Koltès…) flattent le public en lui donnant la satisfaction de reconnaître des noms, mais cela ne garantit en rien la profondeur du propos. Ce procédé me rappelle ces chanteurs qui se contentaient de citer des grands artistes dans leurs chansons : cela ne faisait pas de leurs chansons de grandes œuvres.

Ça crie, ça court, ça entre et ça sort dans de grandes enjambées, 2 mariages et 2 enterrements lassant au possible. Des bourgeois en ennui. mais ce n’est pas le plus grave encore.

La pièce s’ouvre sur Heidegger et son antisémitisme. On croit qu’on va en parler… mais après quinze minutes, silence. À la place, une litanie de guerres et de violences : Rwanda, Ukraine… mais Gaza ? Rien. Invisibiliser la souffrance palestinienne et la violence génocidaire du gouvernement israélien, c’est un choix politique clair.

Et la fin, la jeune femme racisée qui dit : on dit que plus on vieilli plus on vote à droite, alors je gagne du temps et je vote immédiatement à droite. Et la droite c’est l’extrême droite. j’ai détesté.

Sincèrement, j’aurais mieux fait d’aller revoir ce qui se rapproche le plus de Koltès en ce moment : L’irrémédiable de Delphine Gustau, mis en scène et interprété par Delphine Grandsart au Théâtre de la Flèche !

Haïku

Des mots sans questions,
pluie de clichés sur la scène,
Gaza, silence noir.

Tanka

Deux heures de mots creux,
références en vitrine,
Heidegger s’efface,
les bombes pleuvent ailleurs,
mais Gaza reste muette.

« Smalltalking »

Ils parlent sans penser, dictant leurs vérités,
Un flot de lieux communs déguisés en oracles,
Et sous ces grands noms jetés comme des miracles,
Le vide se déploie, sans ombre de clartés.

Heidegger en prélude, puis l’oubli s’est glissé,
Les guerres égrenées comme des spectres fades,
Mais Gaza disparaît, effacée sous les strates,
De ce verbe qui croit dompter l’humanité.

Ô Rambert, ton théâtre est un miroir sans âme,
Un cri sans profondeur, une torche sans flamme,
Qui prétend éclairer mais n’offre que la nuit.

Je fuis vers Koltès, vers la chair et le feu,
Là où la parole ose et brûle en un aveu,
Et non ce verbiage où la pensée s’enfuit.

#ennui #theatre

Many people are uncomfortable hearing that Capitalism is responsible for 10 million excess deaths worldwide every year. They'd rather deny it than do something about it.

https://philosophics.blog/2024/10/13/excess-deaths-attributable-to-capitalism/?utm_source=masto&utm_medium=social

#humanity #earth #capitalism #consumerism #death #stats #statistics #metrics #living #life #quality #business #corporations #markets #economics #philosophy #psychology #being #change #workers #sexworker #apathy #boredom #ennui #rto #wfh

A strange evening. Can I choose to just fade away? What’s so bad about that?

#music #Chromatics #ennui

https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=7ZDmuIy1Ywpw4iUY&v=7Cr2cKISfx8&feature=youtu.be

In “Captain, it’s only Wednesday” news, courtesy of Throbbing Gristle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=TGLHf2IME3FXvyWl&v=9MY4AUnZdpo&feature=youtu.be

#ThrobbingGristle #music #industrial #ennui

2025 book sixty-seven: Michel Houellebecq: Serotonin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #fiction #michelhouellebecq #bookstodon #books #audiobooks #ennui

Ugh. Sitting here with a world of entertainment at my disposal, A task list a page long, unfinished projects, etc. No motivation or focus to do any of it.

Let's try some peppermint tea and a go-to playlist. See where I end up.
#ennui