单选题 Boredomhas,paradoxically,becomequiteinterestingtoacademicslately.InearlyMay,London’sBoringConferencecelebratedsevenyearsofdelightingindullness.Atthisevent,peopleflockedtotalksaboutweather,trafficjams,andvending-machinesounds,amongothersleep-inducingtopics.What,exactly,iseverybodystudying?Onewidelyacceptedpsychologicaldefinitionofboredomis"thedistastefulexperienceofwanting,butbeingunable,toengageinsatisfyingactivity."Buthowcanyouquantifyaperson’sboredomlevelandcompareitwithsomeoneelse’s?In1986,psychologistsintroducedtheBoredomPronenessScale,designedtomeasureanindividual’soveralltendencytofeelbored.Bycontrast,theMultidimensionalStateBoredomScale,developedin2008,measuresaperson’sfeelingsofboredominagivensituation.Boredomhasbeenlinkedtobehaviorissuesincludinginattentivedriving,mindlesssnacking,excessivedrinking,andaddictivegambling.Infact,manyofuswouldchoosepainoverboredom.Oneteamofpsychologistsdiscoveredthattwo-thirdsofmenandaquarterofwomenwouldratherself-administerelectricshocksthansitalonewiththeirthoughtsfor15minutes.Researchingthisphenomenon,anotherteamaskedvolunteerstowatchboring,sad,orneutralfilms,duringwhichtheycouldself-administerelectricshocks.Theboredvolunteersshockedthemselvesmoreandharderthanthesadorneutralonesdid.Butboredomisn’tallbad.Byencouragingself-reflectionanddaydreaming,itcanspurcreativity.Anearlystudygaveparticipantsabundanttimetocompleteproblem-solvingandword-associationexercises.Oncealltheobviousanswerswereexhausted,participantsgavemoreandmoreinventiveanswerstocombatboredom.ABritishstudytookthesefindingsonestepfurther,askingsubjectstocompleteacreativechallenge(comingupwithalistofalternativeusesforahouseholditem).Onegroupofsubjectsdidaboringactivityfirst,whiletheotherswentstraighttothecreativetask.Thosewhoseboredompumpshadbeenprimedweremoreproductive.Inouralways-connectedworld,boredommaybeahard-to-definestate,butitisafertileone.Watchpaintdryorwaterboil,oratleastputawayyoursmartphoneforawhile,andyoumightunlockyournextbigidea.问：Whydoestheauthorsayboredomisn’tallbad?