Sadness Makes Us Happy?

Why do people love tragedies like Titanic, Atonement, and even Romeo and Juliet?

Because being sad apparently makes us happy.

Sad movies of love and loss make us feel grateful for what we have. “It makes you count your blessings” -Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick

But it’s not a selfish thing; people who consciously compare their lives (“At least I’m not that person!”) to the situation of a character don’t feel happier. It’s only the people who empathize and feel grateful rather than prideful that have an emotional high from these flicks.

It at least explains why people will pay money to feel bad: feeling bad makes us feel good.

Weird, huh?