Honors College Art & Science of Emotions Fall 2017 (12:00 p.m.) Sadness Journal | Page 4

Sadness in Society
Alexandra Jodzis
In today’s society, it is evident that people have become obsessed with happi-
ness. The common theme has been that “if you are not happy, there is something
wrong with you.” People are constantly searching for the next best thing whether it be
the newest technology or a new career. It is seen that some are never just happy with
what they have. The culture of our society has evolved into one where only success and
achievement is rewarded. This has created a society of disappointment which often
leads to sadness. Sadness is defined as an emotional pain associated with feelings of
disadvantage, loss, grief, sorrow, or disappointment. Sadness can even lead to a mood
disorder known as depression. In the United States, the amount of people that suffer
from depression is staggering. In fact, “more than twenty percent of the American pop-
ulation will experience at least one episode of depression” (Schwartz 1). External influ-
ences contribute to the emotion of sadness. The people that one associates them-
selves with or even such things such as the economy have a great impact on one’s
mood. Fluctuations in the United States economy have led to things such as the Great
Depression and the Recession. People lost their jobs and lives were turned upside
down. This was out of many people’s control which creates for deeper emotions. When
looking back to the early 1900s, Spain was facing a similar situation. This created cha-
os in the society and impacted many.
More specifically, in the early 1900s, Spain’s government was unstable. Alfonso
XII ascended to the throne in 1902 and the Spain’s political situation was poor. The
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