Famous people have one thing in common. They are not boring.

From military geniuses like Alexander the Great to film legends like Bogart and Gable, the high-profile people knew how to get your attention and keep it.

They still do. And talent has nothing to do with it (see Boy George).

People in the public eye know that nothing turns off a crowd like doing nothing.

Now recently revealed, scientific research shows that staying busy is not just a good strategy for raising public awareness... it is also part of a personal health care program that helps you avoid certain inconvenient medical conditions. Like death.

'We've heard the expression "bored to death." A group of semi-respected scientists claim it's actually true. They studied 7,000 civil servants for 25 years. The study claimed that people who called themselves "frequently bored" were 40 percent more likely to die before those who enjoyed activities other than breathing.

When I read the story, I realized how many times I could have perished prematurely. Even in church.

Once during high school all the kids in my church teen group were forced to attend a revival at a competing church. Our parents were pumped because the revivalist specialized in "reaching" young people.

After 10 minutes of sermonizing, it was clear the preacher had a limited theological vocabulary. Most preachers can yak forever about a multitude of topics related to salvation or sin. This preacher—let's call him Brother Ed—specialized in one thing: fornication.

Our parents probably thought Brother Ed's anti-fornication message would save us from a world of back-seat temptations. And for a few minutes, Brother Ed had us spellbound, not to mention terrified.

But hormonally-swamped teens can only tolerate a limited number of threats. By day two of the revival, we all felt that burning in hell forever was preferable to another minute of fornication preaching.

The man actually bored us talking about sex. Thankfully, we all recovered.

The truth is, you don't know what real boredom is until you get a really boring job. I got my first in college when I worked several months on the night shift at a factory that made rental truck bodies.

Until you've spent eight hours a day, week after week, pushing pop rivets through sheets of aluminum, you don't know what boring is. Even the late night radio station stunk.

I've been bored a few times since, but usually after work. I figured it was because I was too lazy to get up and do something.

But maybe not. The new study wonders if boredom actually causes early death or leads to unhealthy, death-inducing behaviors.

Researcher Martin Shipley said, "It is important that people who have dull jobs find outside interests to keep boredom at bay, rather than turn to drinking or smoking."

The study also suggested that the older you get, the more easily you are bored. I believe it. Once you've "been there, done that," things that once tempted you can't compete with sitting on the couch watching the Food Network and dreaming of naughty nibbles.

But regardless of age, income or social status, researchers say boredom can be overcome by spending less time contemplating yourself and more time doing something for others.

Psychologist Graham Price said, “...the way out of it is to change their focus away from themselves and on to other people. From being all me, me, me, they should be thinking, what can I do for my family, my friends, my colleagues, even my boss?"

Hmmm. Doing something for family, friends and even strangers I can see. But the boss? What if your act of kindness isn't appreciated?

You might find out that nothing beats boredom like the adrenaline rush that comes with a pink slip.

(Send your e-mail comments to: alex@newnan.com)