THERE‘S A NAME FOR THE BLAH
YOU‘RE FEELING: IT‘S CALLED
LANGUISHING
The New Yorker 2021 April
Intro
1. What does ‘languishing’ mean?
2. Do you know anybody who’s had that?
3. What’s the best way to raise awareness about this
matter? Explain and give 2 reasons why.
Vocabulary
■ Neglected
■ Solitude
■ Dull
■ Resilience
■ Bounce out of bed
■ Retaliation
■ Burnout
■ Antidote
■ Hopeless
■ Momentary bond
■ Long-haul
■ Welfare
■ Ease your sense of dread
■ Carve out time
■ Anguish
■ Merely
■ Capacity
■ Indifferent, indifference
■ Tripple the odds
■ Seek help
■ Thrive
Discussion Questions:
1.
What are some of the emotions describing languishing? Give examples from the article.
2.
What is burnout? How would you describe it?
3.
How is languishing different from burnout and depression? What’s the comparison they give in the text? What does it mean?
4.
What was going on with your threat detection system?
5.
How would you describe flourishing?
6.
How can languishing be a bigger risk factor for mental illness?
7.
What does Corey Keyes research suggest? Give specific details.
8.
What is the danger with languishing?
9.
Why does understanding languishing can help even if you don’t have it?
10.
What’s the best strategy for managing emotions?
11.
How can naming languishing help you or someone close?
12.
Would you agree that answering honestly to the question “How are you?” would be refreshing? Why (not)?
13.
Where have you noticed people, characters languish in your surroundings, media, etc.?
14.
What is “revenge bedtime procrastination”?
15.
What are some antidotes to languishing? What does the article mention? What works for you?
16.
What does it look to give yourself some uninterrupted time?