How do you define "misery"?

Question

I ask this in reference to the surrealism discussion, and as an addendum, can you describe a dominant emotional state of out times?

I certainly think lots of people these days are miserable, but a good portion of them to me seem to feel too little to be described as miserable in the way people usually use the term....either that, or are so used to being miserable that it doesn't bring them down.

Comments

not sure how much this relates to anarchy in general, but i still like the question a lot.

i agree, in many/most places i go, most people do not seem happy. not happy does not equal miserable, but there is likely a good percentage of overlap.

for those inclined towards proselytizing or propagandizing, that could be seen as a massive opportunity. for those inclined towards pessimism (let alone depression), it can be a very real trigger.

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well, i guess personally i don't feel depressed too much of the time, it changes pretty frequently...i certainly want things to be different.

There's also the point that happiness is a shallow idea, and i don't see the idea mood as being bubbly and upbeat most of the time, i really have no idea what humans could be like at their best. It would be really cool if logic and rationalism weren't the only facets of "being reasonable" as the surrealists point out, but then again, as ingrate was saying in the death post, it doesn't help to constantly express your emotions all the time either...i think the overarching problem of our day is people seek some way of existing and don't really know what it is, true for me as well. Just a giant gaping "nothing"

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most people i encounter these days seem either stressed or depressed....or alternatingly both.

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rs666: are you basing this question upon the other thread's notion of 'miserabilism?' if i'm reading you accurately i don't think 'misery' in the way you're (perhaps?) meaning it can be conflated with miserablilism in the way surrealists speak of it, or i understand them speaking of it.

i won't be back for a couple of days, btw, but i'll get back with you.