Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole

I have Bittersweet Symphony stuck in my head. I think about playing it, but don't want Mick Jagger to get royalties. (They sampled the strings of an orchestration. If anybody gets royalties it should have been the arranger.) But, to be justified in my indignation, I googled it, and low and behold, in 2019 royalties were returned to the Verve. I guess I can enjoy it.

That seems to go with the theme of the this book. There is benefit to sorrow and longing. This is different than a depression that is pure bitterness. It requires both the bitter and the sweet. The negative can help make the positive better. American culture often focuses heavily on the cheery happiness, which makes it difficult for people to publically share the hard or challenging times.

The bittersweet moments can be very cathartic. "Depressing" music can help you feel good. (The author mentions Leonard Cohen in particular.) Many religious traditions include a celebration of sorrow. In Christianity Christ died and was resurrected. People are baptized by going under water and emerge "born again". The journey through sorrow is an important step on the path towards joy.