I’m dragging myself through an “award-winning” “best-selling” “recommended” book I got from the library and wishing I hadn’t. (Yes I know those phrases mean little and I can stop, though I’m nearing the end after hoping it would stop being so hopeless. Yes I can be naively optimistic ;) .) The characters and story are all stereotypes and clichés. It’s not realistic or slice of life.
The Korean drama I’m watching is top rated on MyDramaList and is well done but it also tells a sad story every episode. I’m halfway through and I don’t think it’s that much better than some lower rated ones with more moments of happiness.
Anyway, this has me thinking about whether there’s a general trend to regard books - stories of any kind really, including real life ones - as “better” if they upset us.
Why though? Maybe it’s more conditioning than anything inherent? That we’re fully capable of relating deeply to joy as well. Happiness can be shallow but doesn’t have to be, like when we open ourselves to love and a relationship. Why do we tend to not see that as having depth as well?
That’s true. So maybe it’s because you can’t really know happiness or appreciate it without having pain and sadness to compare it to. So like reading about sad or painful things also helps us appreciate things more. Like waking up from a nightmare and realizing it wasn’t real. It’s a relief. Or maybe it’s just schadenfreude.