History Main / AllergicToRoutine

* ''Literature/AuntieMame'', who declared that "Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!"

* In Myers-Briggs, Intuitives and Perceivers are usually more routine-phobic. In UsefulNotes/BigFivePersonalityTraits, this is ascribed to people scoring low in Openness to Experience and high in Conscientiousness.

* In Myers-Briggs, Intuitives and Perceivers are usually more routine-phobic.

* This is a disproportionately common trait in people with UsefulNotes/{{ADHD}}.

Contrast with CreatureOfHabit. Compare and contrast DesperatelySeekingAPurposeInLife, ManicPixieDreamGirl, BumblingDad, and InHarmsWay. TheHedonist is this character but even darker.

* In ''Literature/TheGenesisOfJennyEverywhere'', we have Jenny's friend Leah "Leelee" Jones, a ditzy, borderline CloudCuckooLander teenage girl who spends half her time playing truant from school and the next day randomly turns up half an hour early because history class in first period "sounded interesting". Possibly justified given there is no law forcing her to turn up and her guardian is her neglectful uncle who couldn't care less when it comes to instilling a sense of routine in his niece. She gets bored easily and is friends with Jenny as her quirky style and tales of adventure in alternate worlds make her seem "cool".

'''Delenn:''' And the picture always ends [[YourHeadAsplode your head imploding.]]

* ''Literature/PerryMason'' frequently talks about how he hates routine. He's often forced to endure several hours of answering correspondence by his secretary, Della Street. It's noted he is a trial lawyer because he enjoys a fight rather than practicing routine law.

* ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya'', of course. Ordinary day? Heaven help you, Kyon, Haruhi will soon sort that out.
* Literature/SherlockHolmes: "My mind rebels at stagnation." Becomes [[UpToEleven clinically depressed]] when things get too quiet. For the record, the book version of Watson has a foot in both camps (domestic bliss with wife + running after Holmes on adventures = happy life), while the [[Film/SherlockHolmes2009 film version]] wants to be a CreatureOfHabit... But Holmes, in most adaptations, consistently functions on the assumption that his best friend is also naturally Allergic To Routine.

--> ''"I wonder if it's like this for mountain climbers," he thought. "You climb bigger and bigger mountains, and you know that one day one of them is going to be just that bit too steep. But you go on doing it, because it's so-o good when you breath the air up there. And you know you'll die falling."''
* Aikawa Kagiyama in the ''Literature/HonorHarrington'' novels is this. So, one day, he's sitting watch, totally bored, and decides to run a detailed analysis on the freighter that recently entered the system, just to have something to do. He discovers that they previously encountered the same freighter in another system a few weeks ago... only it was operating under a different name, which is sufficient cause to board her. What they find blows the lid off a Mesan plot to sabotage the Talbott annexation, and ultimately provokes the biggest war in human history.
* Perry Mason frequently talks about how he hates routine. He's often forced to endure several hours of answering correspondence by his secretary, Della Street. It's noted he is a trial lawyer because he enjoys a fight rather than practicing routine law.
* One of ''Literature/HoratioHornblower'''s traits. He comes up with so many daring plans partly because he considers himself a coward every time he's not risking his neck, but mostly because he has an extremely active mind. It's also a fact that navy life consists mainly of boredom interspersed with wild activity, and he really hates boredom. It also leads him to do lots of less-dangerous things to break up the monotony of blockade service, like force all the midshipmen and petty officers to calculate and recalculate the longitude of a particular point or play whist.
--> "I'd rather be in trouble for having done something than for not having done anything."

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

-->'''Delenn''': I have tried picturing you on a beach with nothing to do.\\
'''Sheridan''': --''And?''\\
'''Delenn''': And the picture always ends [[YourHeadAsplode your head imploding.]]

** The Doctor is terrified of domesticity and monotony -- after all, this is someone who regularly switches ''[[TheNthDoctor bodies]]'', never mind routines. This has caused some heartaches for their companions, who occasionally and understandably feel as if they're just replaceable amusements who get discarded when the Doctor gets bored.
** The Eleventh Doctor in particular has problems with simply sitting still and waiting whilst nothing happens.

-->'''The Doctor''': Is this how time usually passes? Slowly... and in the right order?

** The Twelfth Doctor, at the beginning of Series 10, has been stuck at the University of Bristol guarding a mysterious vault in the basement for at least 50 years. He's starting to go stir-crazy. In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS36E5Oxygen "Oxygen"]], he's so desperate to go back to space that he ''deliberately'' answers a distress call, dragging his two companions along for the ride -- and it ends up biting him in the ass.

[[folder:Theater]]
* Literature/AuntieMame, who declared that "Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!"

[[folder:WesternAnimation]]

* ''Series/DoctorWho'': The Doctor is terrified of domesticity and monotony -- after all, this is the guy who regularly switches ''[[TheNthDoctor bodies]]'', never mind routines. This has caused some heartaches for his companions, who occasionally and understandably feel as if they're just replaceable amusements who get discarded when the Doctor gets bored.

* ''Series/DoctorWho'': The Doctor is terrified of domesticity and monotony -- after all, this is the guy who regularly switches ''bodies'', never mind routines. This has caused some heartaches for his companions, who occasionally and understandably feel as if they're just replaceable amusements who get discarded when the Doctor gets bored.

*** In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E4ThePowerOfThree "The Power of Three"]], while he's waiting for one of the mysterious cubes to do something, he decides do odd chores around Amy and Rory's house, plays keepie-uppie with a football to a million, cooks dinner and paints the fence. After all that, he discovers to his horror that the time it takes before he runs out of things to do and goes crazy with boredom... is one ''hour''.

Contrast with CreatureOfHabit. Compare and contrast DesperatelySeekingAPurposeInLife, ManicPixieDreamGirl, BumblingDad, and InHarmsWay.

Contrast with CreatureOfHabit. Compare and contrast DesperatelySeekingAPurposeInLife, ManicPixieDreamGirl, and InHarmsWay.

However, [[InLoveWithLove they may not get as far as having a steady partner]], much less kids, to worry about -- that means commitment, and very possibly the dreaded prospect of domesticity. Many Allergic To Routine characters would rather remain free agents, never [[NotStayingForBreakfast hanging around for breakfast]] after a passionate night or forming lasting friendships. If they do, it will be a major plot point.

* Literature/SherlockHolmes: "My mind rebels at stagnation." Becomes [[UpToEleven clinically depressed]] when things get too quiet. For the record, the book version of Watson has a foot in both camps (domestic bliss with wife + running after Holmes on adventures = happy life), while the [[Film/SherlockHolmes film version]] wants to be a CreatureOfHabit... But Holmes, in most adaptations, consistently functions on the assumption that his best friend is also naturally Allergic To Routine.

'''David:''' Um... yeah, I'm fine... does it always take this long?\\8

'''David:''' Um... yeah, I'm fine... does it always take this long?\\

*** In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS32E7AmysChoice "Amy's Choice"]], he considers a peaceful village and family life to be a nightmare, accuses it of slowing him down and blunting his mind, and asks Amy and Rory how they stave the "self-harm".

* [[Manga/FromEroicaWithLove Eroica/Dorian]] is a less manic version, but still gets pretty low when life fails to live up to his romantic ideals, and sets off to cause trouble in order to keep life exciting.

-->'''Millie:''' "You okay? What's the matter?"
-->'''David:''' "Um... yeah, I'm fine... does it always take this long?"
-->'''Millie:''' (confused) "I thought you said you'd been to Italy before?"
-->'''David:''' "Well, yeah, I have... lots of times... Its just... does it always take this long?"

* In ''Series/DoctorWho'', the Doctor is terrified of domesticity and monotony - after all, this is the guy who regularly switches ''bodies'', never mind routines. This has caused some heartaches for his companions, who occasionally and understandably feel as if they're just replaceable amusements who get discarded when the Doctor gets bored.

*** In "Amy's Choice" he considers a peaceful village and family life to be a nightmare, accuses it of slowing him down and blunting his mind, and asks Amy and Rory how they stave the "self-harm".
*** In "The Power of Three", whilst he's waiting for one of the mysterious cubes to do something, he decides do odd chores around Amy and Rory's house, plays keepie-uppie with a football to a million, cooks dinner and paints the fence. After all that, he discovers to his horror that the time it takes before he runs out of things to do and goes crazy with boredom... is one ''hour''.
*** He does a similar thing in "The Bells of Saint John", while waiting for Clara to wake up. He tinkers with the spoonhead robot, alphabetises the kitchen cupboards, fixes the rattling noise in the washing machine, optimizes the shrubbery's photosynthesis, and reassembles (or invents) the disassembled quadricycle in the garage.

* ''{{Series/House}}'': Whether as a doctor, a friend, a roommate, Gregory House always winds up rewriting the rules to his own advantage--and sometimes breaking them even then. Not too surprising, as he's a Literature/SherlockHolmes {{expy}}.
* Delenn said this of Sheridan on ''Series/BabylonFive'', after he complained about never catching a break.
-->'''Delenn''': I have tried picturing you on a beach with nothing to do.\\
'''Sheridan''': --''And?''\\
'''Delenn''': And the picture always ends [[YourHeadAsplode your head imploding.]]

* ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'': This version of Sherlock Holmes has a need for intellectual stimulation that strongly brings to mind a drug addict's desire for the stimulant of their choice, and repeatedly goes to dangerous lengths in order to avoid becoming bored - [[NotSoDifferent a trait he shares]] with his arch-nemesis, Moriarty. However, possibly as a means to complement Sherlock, this particular version of John Watson is heavily hinted to be an adrenaline addict and a thrill-seeker.

* ''Videogame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'': Consular companion Felix Iresso has been bounced from back end outpost to back end outpost, despite a stellar service record, and his career has stalled because [[spoiler: he had a Sith holocron forcibly downloaded into his head when a prisoner of war on Althir]]. It doesn't seem to bother him much, and when the Consular shows up, he's delighted to sign on for an insanely dangerous diplomatic mission. The best way to get affection points with him is by volunteering to do the dangerous, dirty, and outright ''crazy'' missions no one else is willing to do.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'': Flowey explains his history in full towards the end of a No Mercy run: with the ability to [[SaveScumming SAVE]], he was able to experience all possible outcomes of every scenario. He helped everyone, he killed everyone, he won every contest and lost every contest... until, after [[TimeAbyss untold resets]], he just ran out of things to do. It wasn't until the PlayerCharacter fell into the Underground and overrode his SAVE power with their own that he became truly interested in the outcome of events. [[NotSoDifferent The same urge]] is part of what likely drives '''you''', the player, to start a Genocide Run of your own...

* This is a disproportionately common trait in people with {{ADHD}}.

Contrast with CreatureOfHabit. Compare and contrast DesperatelySeekingAPurposeInLife and InHarmsWay.

* In ''Videogame/{{Tyranny}}'', Bleden Mark the Archon of Shadow, official headsman and executioner of Kyros' court and unofficial assassin for Kyros, is a very old and jaded being who does what he does because it's not boring. [[spoiler:The reason he aids you in the Anarchist path, betraying his masters Tunon and Kyros after serving them loyally for so long, is because he was impressed and entertained by your insane rebelling. If you convince him to serve you, the epilogue mentions that you are very careful to keep him busy lest he grow bored and betray you as well.]]

* In ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'', a version of this that's somehow both [[DownplayedTrope downplayed]] and [[ExaggeratedTrope exaggerated]] turns out to be what drove Flowey to evil. He explains in full towards the end of a No Mercy run: with the ability to [[SaveScumming SAVE]], he was able to experience all possible outcomes of every scenario. He helped everyone, he killed everyone, he won every contest and lost every contest... until, after [[TimeAbyss untold resets]], he just ran out of things to do. It wasn't until the PlayerCharacter fell into the Underground and overrode his SAVE power with their own that he became truly interested in the outcome of events. [[NotSoDifferent The same urge]] is part of what likely drives '''you''', the player, to start a Genocide Run of your own...

* {{Series/House}}: Whether as a doctor, a friend, a roommate, Gregory House always winds up rewriting the rules to his own advantage--and sometimes breaking them even then. Not too surprising, as he's a Literature/SherlockHolmes {{expy}}.

* Series/{{Sherlock}}: This version of Sherlock Holmes has a need for intellectual stimulation that strongly brings to mind a drug addict's desire for the stimulant of their choice, and repeatedly goes to dangerous lengths in order to avoid becoming bored - [[NotSoDifferent a trait he shares]] with his arch-nemesis, Moriarty. However, possibly as a means to complement Sherlock, this particular version of John Watson is heavily hinted to be an adrenaline addict and a thrill-seeker.

* The infamous [[TheLegendOfZeldaCDiGames "Link: The Faces of Evil"]] starts with Link being bored out of his mind and hoping that [[GannonBanned Gannon]] is up to no good again so that he could venture out to stop him. When word arrives literally seconds later that Gannon has indeed seized the island of Koredai and that [[TheChosenOne only Link can defeat him according to prophecy]], his reaction is a resounding "[[JumpedAtTheCall Great!]]" He doesn't seem to be concerned at all at the dire situation at hand, he's just glad he has the opportunity to do some adventuring.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'', a version of this that's somehow both [[DownplayedTrope downplayed]] and [[ExaggeratedTrope exaggerated]] turns out to be what drove Flowey to evil. He explains in full towards the end of a No Mercy run: with the ability to [[SaveScumming SAVE]], he was able to experience all possible outcomes of every scenario. He helped everyone, he killed everyone, he won every contest and lost every contest... until, after [[TimeAbyss untold resets]], he just ran out of things to do. It wasn't until Frisk fell into the Underground and overrode his SAVE power with their own that he became truly interested in the outcome of events. [[NotSoDifferent The same urge]] is part of what likely drives '''you''', the player, to start a Genocide Run of your own...