Are you more susceptible to sadness in the day or at night?
How do you react to sadness?
Do you ever feel sad for no reason?
50% Say they rarely feel sad for no reason, and 39% feel inexplicable sadness somewhat often. 8% say they are never sad for no reason, while 3% are all the time.
Do you believe life is inherently sad?
What’s one thing you won’t do because it makes you too sad?
23% Say contemplating the fate of the world is too difficult, while 9% can’t read or watch the news, 10% can’t watch a sad movie, 5% struggle to be alone, and 3% can’t read sad books.
UNIQUE ANSWERS:
- “Visit others and pretend I’m okay.”
- “Think about why a relationship broke down.”
- “Visit graveyards.”
- “Dwell on death.”
- “Listen to ’80s music.”
What’s an important lesson you’ve learned from sadness?
- “It’s better to feel pain than nothing at all.”
- “Sadness isn’t permanent.”
- “Thankfulness is a mindset, not a feeling.”
- “If we are going to live life to the fullest, sadness is part of the deal.”
- “Not everyone responds the same way to sadness. Some people laugh when they’re sad, and that’s okay.”
When you’re in a sadness funk, what’s your go-to ritual to cheer up?
- “My favorite chocolate, a cup of Earl Grey tea, and a trashy escapist romance novel.”
- “Marijuana.”
- “Tea and Carly Simon.”
- “Chocolate, yin yoga, sex.”
- “Chick flick and pizza.”
- “Talk about it.”
- “Watch comedy clips.”
- “I listen to Sgt. Pepper’s start to finish.”
- “Play with my dog, journal, dance to fun music in my living room, create, spend time outside.”
What’s one thing that makes people sad that you just don’t care about?
- “Death. I work at a retirement facility and I experience death all the time.”
- “A kid not getting what he wants.”
- “Winter weather in northwestern Ontario.”
- “Death of people in entertainment.”
- “The end of Daylight Savings Time.”
- “Aging. People seem to want to stay young forever. I appreciate the depth and wisdom of older people.”
- “Rainy, cloudy, stormy weather— I love it.”
- “Longing for ‘the good old days.’”
- “TV shows being discontinued.”
- “I don’t care about sports teams losing. I couldn’t give a stuff!”
What’s one unconventional thing that makes you sad?
- “Old cars left to rust in a field.”
- “Kleenex TV ads.”
- “Misspelled words.”
- “National anthems make me cry.”
- “Oops, hormones!!”
- “Party small talk.”
- “Televised moments of joy.”
- “Egg nog.”