Sadness is synonymous with sorrow, unhappiness, despair, grief, and gloom. When people speak about sadness, it is unanimously in a negative light, describing negative circumstances and emotions. The answer seems obvious that sadness is overwhelmingly negative and bad. Most people try to avoid it. We even learn from young that being sad is a bad thing and we should find ways to be happier. Our friends and family are always there to try to help us be joyful and happy.
It’s often difficult to see that there is any value to sadness, but there is.
Sadness has meaning.
Sadness exists on the opposite end of joy but it plays an important role to helping us define what is meaningful to us. When we feel sad for the loss of a friendship, family member, or failure; those are the important things to us. They are the things, events, and people that have meaning. Those are the things that make us feel joyful, happy, and glad to be alive. Sadness allows us a degree of introversion and consideration to explore the personally meaningful things.
People also often confuse sadness for depression; which is a very dangerous thing because depression is a condition that negatively affects mood, thought, behaviour, and perspective. Depression can be bereft of any meaning and can lead down a dark path that may be difficult to come back from. Sadness can exist at the same time as joy; as is the case when we are feeling sad but feel loved and at ease when our friends and family comfort us.
Even negative emotions can have positive, meaningful purpose for you; if you are able to see clearly.
College of Allied Educators offers our Advanced Diploma in Counselling Psychology programme to help you understand your thoughts, feelings, and actions at a deeper level so you can grow personally and professionally.
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