Because we really needed to know this. Or something. Whatever.
A new study from the University of Essex in England has used SCIENCE to determine who is the most boring person in the world.
A data analyst from a rural area who watches a lot of TV, is probably religious and sleeps a lot.
This isn’t a specific person, for the record. Just a look at what people in Jolly Ol’ England find boring. The authors of the study even said it’s a load of poppycock.
Well, technically they just said labeling things as ‘boring’ is a bit unfair. But that’s, ironically enough, boring.
“Perceptions can change but people may not not take time to speak to those with ‘boring’ jobs or hobbies,” Dr. Wijnand Van Tilburg, the study’s author, said in a university release. “They don’t get a chance to prove people wrong and break these negative stereotypes. The very fact that people choose to avoid them can lead to social ostracization and increase loneliness, leading to a really negative impact on their lives.”
The study did list out the most boring jobs and hobbies.
Top 5 Most Boring Jobs
- Data Analysis
- Accounting
- Tax/insurance
- Cleaning
- Banking
Top 5 Most Boring Hobbies
- Sleeping
- Religion
- Watching TV
- Observing Animals
- Mathematics
Whomever filled out this survey has a weird definition of the word ‘hobby.’
Dr. Van Tilburg also pointed out that calling someone who handles your money ‘boring’ is probably not the best idea.
“It was interesting to me to see the study showed that boring people were not seen as competent,” Van Tilburg said. “I would have thought that accountants would be seen as boring, but effective and the perfect person to do a god job on your tax return. The truth of the matter is people like bankers and accountants are highly capable and have power in society – perhaps we should try not to upset them and stereotype them as boring!”
Dr. Van Tilburg obviously doesn’t spend much time on social media. If he did, then he would realize that everyone is an expert on everything now and we don’t need silly things like accountants or surgeons.
