“Sadness is a wall between two gardens.”
— Khalil Gibran
What is sadness?
Sadness is not just an emotion that can be easily described or even understood. It’s not something that suddenly comes and goes. Sadness is a state that captures, engulfs, and makes you reflect. It’s like silence that envelops you, freeing you from external noise. Sometimes it acts as an internal pause, a moment when everything stops, and you begin to hear yourself. In such moments, it feels as though my soul shifts to neutral, and the world stops being loud and harsh. Instead, I begin to feel the softness, the sluggishness of time, which allows me to realize everything hidden behind the daily hustle.
Sadness is not an enemy. It is not a bright, negative feeling that we try to avoid. It is an inevitable part of us. As humans, we create our essence through experiences, through loss, and through the realization that nothing in life is eternal. This impermanence, this process of loss, gives us strength for growth. We cannot be authentic without sadness. We are made of it. It is inseparable from what we want and what we fear. It nourishes our desires and motivation, pushing us to move, seek, and hope. We cannot dream without experiencing loss, and we cannot build plans without understanding that the past is already gone.
Sadness as a path to self-discovery
Sadness forces us to face ourselves. In this state, I begin to truly feel life. It is in these moments, when I dive deep into my soul, that I realize life is not just a rush in everyday hustle. It is not merely mechanical movement in hours and calendars. Sadness opens before me a reality that may be hidden behind a familiar shell. It doesn’t allow me to forget about myself, who I am, and what I have gone through.
In such moments, I encounter internal contradictions, things I never fully realized. My dreams, fears, ambitions—all of it becomes clearer than ever. Sadness becomes the key to understanding. It seems to invite me into a dark room where my true essence is kept. Without sadness, I wouldn’t be able to understand who I am. Only by accepting it can I see how my goals change, how I begin to appreciate what once seemed insignificant.
Sadness as memory and value
Sadness and memory are two inseparable companions. We cannot fully understand the significance of life without facing loss. Without sadness, without realizing that something is gone, we lose the ability to appreciate the present. We would not be human if we did not care about something important. Sadness teaches us that everything is transient, and every moment has its value. We become human precisely through our memory, through the realization that everything we’ve experienced leaves a mark in us.
I believe that each moment of sadness, each loss, each moment of pain leaves a trace that becomes part of our inner world. If it weren’t for sadness, we wouldn’t have this unparalleled value we find in memories. It’s like old photographs that become brighter than everything happening in the present because it’s through sadness that we realize how important what we’ve experienced is. Without this memory, we wouldn’t understand that we live, and what it means to be alive.
Sadness as the meaning of life
I believe that sadness has deep meaning. It’s not just a feeling that comes and goes. It is the process that makes us move forward, grow, and search. Sadness is not just a reaction to loss, it is something more. It is a key point on the path to self-awareness and realizing what is truly important to us. Through sadness, we discover truths that otherwise could remain hidden. We begin to see things differently, to appreciate what once seemed obvious.
Sadness is a window through which we can see deeper meanings of life. In this state, my subconscious reaches a new level. In such moments, my thoughts become clearer, and my view of the world becomes sharper. I realize that only by enduring the weight of sadness can I understand the true values: love, freedom, meaning.And only through these moments of realization can I move forward, without losing myself.
After reading this essay, you have encountered the word “sadness” 23 times, but how often do you encounter it in your own life?