Note: this article is adapted from one I wrote some time ago in my wiki.
Sadness worshipping is what I call a particular phenomenon that I despise, and that is sadly too common.
This phenomenon is the idea ingrained in society that sadness and suffering, especially if it is one’s own, is something positive, something to be proud of, something to defend if necessary.
Sadness is, indeed, a part of life. So is having a cold. But one does not feel proud of his cold, does not get used to it so much that the idea of being cured of it becomes frightening.
Sadness, however, becomes comfortable. Being sad (in a mostly permanent way, not just at one particular time) can be seen as a releasing of responsibilities - you suffer so much, poor little you, so who can ask more of you? No, if you’re sad, it’s like the world owes you something, and you hide yourself in the thought that, one day, you will get what you feel you deserve. Of course, even that day is not really desired, because your sadness is your protection against the cold, hard world. And you will fight, if necessary, to keep it. “It’s my sadness, it’s a part of me, and nobody can take it away from me, dammit!”
Because of this, people also tend to respect and admire sadness and suffering in others, and begin to equate worthiness and goodness with sadness. A good person “has to” be sad; someone who appears to be happy is either deluded or guilty of something; he probably built his happiness by causing more sadness and pain to others. The heroic becomes confused with suffering; the idea of a triumphant, joyful hero is seen as a contradiction. The only way to be “heroic” is to be a martyr, a sacrificial animal.
As I said, I despise all of this. To me, it is one of the most terrible weaknesses of humanity, it’s a distortion of values. One should always strive for one’s happiness, it’s the only healthy way to live. Sadness can be like a sickness, and while people get sick from time to time (and it’s nothing to be ashamed of), it’s absurd to get so comfortable, so used to the sickness that you fear and refuse the idea of a cure, even while complaining about how you are in such pain.
An easy example: you need to go no further than the lyrics of most songs on the radio - almost all of them are about pain, suffering, angst, self pity, lost love and being unable to do anything about it. People, as I said, consider this “normal” and “good”.
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