‘May you live in interesting times”, goes the so-called Chinese curse. In fact the phrase originated with Joseph Chamberlain, who said in a speech in 1898: “I think you will all agree that we are living in most interesting times. I never remember myself a time in which our history was so full, in which day by day brought us new objects of interest, and, let me say also, new objects for anxiety.” For many it is a fair description of 2016; and here I wonder whether what is “interesting” in our times might be driven in part by a deep desire for more interest in life. In short, by boredom.

The decisions of Britain to leave the EU and America to vote for Trump