> Is being bored of people talking a sign of lack of control or a lack of interest?

Being bored is a sign of lack of interest- being unable to focus anyways when it is boring but critically important, and you are choosing to try to focus on it but still can't would be a sign of ADHD.

I hope this specific example illustrates what I mean about executive control, and answers your previous question as well. However, that is what connects the symptoms of ADHD- they are the most debilitating real world consequences or symptoms of a developmental delay in executive control. There are things other than ADHD that can permanently or temporarily inhibit executive control such as streptococcal infections and sleep deprivation, and cause a nearly identical list of symptoms.

> I think the ADHD diagnosis can be harmful in that it makes people attribute all their behaviors to "Adhd" and makes them believe they are incapable of being changed.

This is absolute nonsense, it's like saying that getting an X-ray is harmful, because if people know their leg is broken, it might make them think they can't walk on it like normal.

ADHD is highly treatable, and there is now a huge community of people with books, podcasts, etc. that share practical tips that work for people with ADHD- when regular productivity tips typically don't. Personally, I was undiagnosed as a child and constantly abused and called a lazy slacker by adults for not doing what I was supposed to- I desperately wanted to, and couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. I tried every productivity trick and study hack in dozens of books, and nothing worked at all, and I didn't understand why.

As an adult, I have learned about practical tricks from other people with ADHD, as well as medication that let me finally focus on the things I choose to focus on. It transformed my life from being a living hell, to being a successful person with a good life. The ADHD diagnosis allowed me to understand why the things I was doing to change weren't working, and realize I wasn't the only person trying to fix this on my own, but there are proven strategies.

The reality of ADHD can much more serious, and different than most people think, or the name implies. People with untreated ADHD have substantially shorter lifespans, have a huge number of other physical and mental health complications, and have a much lower quality of life. Yes, many people have mild versions of executive control challenges from time to time- and things like addictions and loss of sleep can cause them to be worse for anyone. However, it is a matter of degree, for people with ADHD these symptoms are much more severe and debilitating.

For example, take the losing your keys thing... sure a lot of people lose their keys sometimes. I have a family member with ADHD living in a cold climate where she had to wear gloves to get to school, and she loses a pair of gloves everyday. It got to the point where she was spending so much on gloves that it was having a huge impact on her life. She was trying all types of strategies to not lose the gloves, yet none were working and she would still lose them. Most people, if they lose a pair of gloves, would then be able to pay extra attention, and not lose another pair the very next day.