THE TRUTH ABOUT: Mildly interesting intriguing photos - The Untold Story

Nowadays, we are constantly bombarded with interesting content and amusing information. But the irony is that the oversaturation of interesting content means that almost nothing is interesting anymore. “Oh, my friend took a trip to Japan? Yeah, I’ve seen about 500 people on social media do the same.” 

Or something that may have previously been a rare sight in real life seems much less interesting today because we’ve experienced it dozens of times through someone else’s lens on the internet. Not to mention the fact that everyone is always trying to oversell how amazing and exciting their life is on social media. That’s why groups like Mildly Interesting are so refreshing. They’re just honest, and honesty can be difficult to find online these days.   

Just like beauty, interest is in the eye of the beholder. You may read a book about octopuses that you find absolutely fascinating, while only a few pages of it would put your partner to sleep. But regardless of what you personally find interesting, Lorraine Besser, author of The Art of the Interesting, recommends that you prioritize seeking that out more than you prioritize seeking out happiness.

“The research has shown that when you have more psychologically rich experiences, it can lead you toward a more expansive sense of self,” Besser told Greater Good Magazine. “You feel more connected to everything—your environment, other people, whatever—in a non-evaluative way.”   

To seek out more interesting experiences, Besser recommends loosening your grip on planning. She explains that we have to leave space for unexpected and interesting opportunities to arise; if our minds are too narrow, we’ll miss out on these moments. Once you’ve made that space, Besser suggests that you “pay attention to the sparks of the interesting in your mind, seeing what lights you up and makes you curious.” Seek out new learning opportunities, and you’ll certainly find plenty of things that you consider interesting.

Curiosity is something that we’re all born with, but unfortunately, many of us tend to lose touch with it over time. If you want to find interesting things, though, you’ve got to reconnect with that childlike wonder you once had. If you have many moments as an adult where you feel bored, the solution might simply be finding something that you’re curious about, something that excites you. Even if it’s only mildly interesting. 

We all know that social media portrays a warped version of reality. According to The Center for Conflict and Cooperation at NYU, only 3% of social media profiles are toxic, but these pages are responsible for one-third of the content that gets posted online. Whether they’re sharing polarizing views, ragebait, or posts that are aimed at making “regular” people self-conscious about their lives, it’s almost impossible to avoid this kind of content.   

One of the worst crimes social media has committed against humanity is creating unrealistic expectations for people. You have to look flawless at all times, smile every moment, travel internationally every weekend, and never complain about anything. Your life must be perfect; otherwise, you’re definitely doing worse than everyone else on Instagram. 

Now, most of us know that this is not true when we think about it rationally. But it can be easy to forget that everyone wakes up in the morning with messy hair and fights with their partner from time to time when you don’t see any of that online. We need pages like Mildly Interesting to remind us that life is always riveting. Sometimes, it’s even a bit boring.