Why Do We Like Sad Things?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsConnects You to Real EmotionsSadness Without AnxietyIncreases GratitudeMakes You Think About Life

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Connects You to Real Emotions

Sadness Without Anxiety

Increases Gratitude

Makes You Think About Life

Close

Throughout history, humans have been drawn to fictionalsadstories, from Shakespeare’s tragedies likeHamletandRomeo and Julietto challenging films likeSchindler’s ListandTitanic.Why do we like sad things so much?

Because we think of stories as a form of entertainment, our interest in sad stories has been called paradoxical. After all, if we consume stories for entertainment, why would we choose to spend time with narratives that make us feel sad, an emotion that people typically try to avoid?

Psychologists have started to investigate this question in the last few years and have come up with several answers through their research. Some of the things they’ve discovered include that consuming sad stories enables us to experience sadness without anxiety, makes us feelgratefulfor our close relationships, and causes us to think about what’s valuable and meaningful to us.

At a GlanceFrom sad movies to sad novels, tragic tales often connect us with our emotions and allow us to feel gratitude for the good things we have in our lives. Experts also suggest that these sad stories help us appreciate the things that make our lives meaningful. It’s a way to experience some of the beneficial aspects of sadness (such as gaininginsightandcatharsis) without feeling stressed or anxious.

At a Glance

From sad movies to sad novels, tragic tales often connect us with our emotions and allow us to feel gratitude for the good things we have in our lives. Experts also suggest that these sad stories help us appreciate the things that make our lives meaningful. It’s a way to experience some of the beneficial aspects of sadness (such as gaininginsightandcatharsis) without feeling stressed or anxious.

Sad Things Connect People to Real Life Emotions

When we consume a fictional story, we experience an emotional response. Even though we know it isn’t real, we automatically experience emotions in response to it.

That’s because if we connect with a story—and especially if we find ourselvesnarratively transportedor absorbed into a story—its emotional content resonates with us in a way that makes us feel it’s truthful.

Sad Things Can Remind Us of Real LifeSo when we read, watch, or listen to asad story, we spontaneously feel sad, get teary-eyed, or cry because the emotions the story conveys simulate those we’ve experienced in real life.

Sad Things Can Remind Us of Real Life

So when we read, watch, or listen to asad story, we spontaneously feel sad, get teary-eyed, or cry because the emotions the story conveys simulate those we’ve experienced in real life.

The more involved participants became in the film, the more they enjoyed it. So ultimately, those who were the saddest after watching the film were also the ones who enjoyed it the most.

You Can Experience Sadness Without Anxiety

However, there was one noteworthy difference between recalling a personal tragedy and watching a fictional tragedy: participants experienced significantly moreanxietywhen they recalled a personal tragedy than they did when they watched tragic shows and movies.

On the other hand, we aren’t anxious about consuming a sad story because the emotions we experience through it won’t continue to have an impact on us after we’re done watching, reading, or listening.

Sad Things Can Make You Feel Grateful

Another reason we enjoysadstories are that they make us feelgrateful, but perhaps not in the way we might expect.

In an additional study, participants who experienced greater sadness while watching the tragic 2007 movieAtonementreported both enjoying the film more and experiencing greaterhappinessin their lives, but only if they thought about their close relationships while watching the film.

The researchers also investigated whether participants who compared their lives to those of the tragic characters in the movie experienced a similarhappinessboost, but found suchself-centeredthoughts didn’t impact viewers' moods.

Instead, those who experienced the greatest increase in sadness while watching the film were also those who were most likely to consider theirclose relationshipsin response to it.

We enjoy sad stories because they help us think about and feel moregratefulfor the bonds we share with the people we love and care for.

You Can Consider What Makes Life Meaningful

Yet, further research has shown that sad stories may provoke thoughts that go beyond our relationships and extend to moreexistentialconsiderations.

Based on this definition, it’s clear that the appreciation experience is positive, but not purely pleasurable. Instead, the positive feelings it provokes result from consumers finding meaning in stories and continuing to ponder that meaning after they’ve finished consuming them.

Potential for Personal GrowthStudies indicate that this facilitates consumers' consideration of big questions, such as who we are, what we value, and what makes life worthwhile, not only in general but for themselves. Consequently, appreciation can lead topersonal growth.

Potential for Personal Growth

Studies indicate that this facilitates consumers' consideration of big questions, such as who we are, what we value, and what makes life worthwhile, not only in general but for themselves. Consequently, appreciation can lead topersonal growth.

This implies that the reason people like sad stories is they enable consumers to engage with tender and meaningful emotions and provoke reflective thoughts.

Moreover, the expectation that consuming sad stories will provoke these meaningful and moving responses motivates people to continue to seek out and watch, read, and listen to sad stories.

What This Means For YouAs strange as it may sound, consuming sad stories can actually feel good. Whether you’re watching a sad movie, reading a tear-jerker novel, or listening to downbeat music, sad things can let you focus on difficult emotions and thoughts without mental pain or anxiety.Essentially, consuming sad media can help you feel your feelings without the hurt. It can also lead to insight, gratitude, and meaning. So feel free to indulge the next time you’re tempted to binge-watch a heart-wrenching story.

What This Means For You

As strange as it may sound, consuming sad stories can actually feel good. Whether you’re watching a sad movie, reading a tear-jerker novel, or listening to downbeat music, sad things can let you focus on difficult emotions and thoughts without mental pain or anxiety.Essentially, consuming sad media can help you feel your feelings without the hurt. It can also lead to insight, gratitude, and meaning. So feel free to indulge the next time you’re tempted to binge-watch a heart-wrenching story.

As strange as it may sound, consuming sad stories can actually feel good. Whether you’re watching a sad movie, reading a tear-jerker novel, or listening to downbeat music, sad things can let you focus on difficult emotions and thoughts without mental pain or anxiety.

Essentially, consuming sad media can help you feel your feelings without the hurt. It can also lead to insight, gratitude, and meaning. So feel free to indulge the next time you’re tempted to binge-watch a heart-wrenching story.

How Storytelling Is Good for Your Mental Health

8 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Busselle R, Bilandzic H.Fictionality and Perceived Realism in Experiencing Stories: A Model of Narrative Comprehension and Engagement.Communication Theory. 2002;18(2):255-280.

Goldstein TR.The pleasure of unadulterated sadness: Experiencing sorrow in fiction, nonfiction, and “in person.“Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts.2009;3(4):232-237.

Knobloch-Westerwick S, Gong Y, Hagner H, Kerbeykian L.Tragedy Viewers Count Their Blessings: Feeling Low on Fiction Leads to Feeling High on Life.Communication Research, 2012;40(6):747-766.

Hanich J, Wagner V, Shah M, Jacobsen T, Menninghaus W.Why we like to watch sad films. The pleasure of being moved in aesthetic experiences.Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 2014;8(2):130-143.

Oliver MB, Bartsch A.Appreciation as Audience Response: Exploring Entertainment Gratifications Beyond Hedonism.Human Communication Research.2010;36(1):53-81.

Meet Our Review Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

What is your feedback?