If there’s one universal language that can speak to any emotion or situation, it’s the digital phenomenon we call the meme. These tightly-packaged chunks of information allow us to share a laugh, shed a tear, and generally feel less alone in this vast world. They are a great teacher of how life is never a black and white journey — but rather a bittersweet adventure that inspires the painfully spot-on and absurdly funny jokes we all appreciate.
Today, we’re diving deep into these internet tidbits that mess with our psyches and play with feelings on opposite spectrums. So allow us to introduce you to the 'Mad Sad Not Good' Instagram account. This social media project dedicated to "bringing you the saddest memes in town" is bound to crack a smile and leave you feeling pretty blue all at the same time.
Below, we wrapped up a collection of posts proving that sadness is a perfectly natural part of life that also deserves to be put in the spotlight. So continue scrolling to check them out, and don't miss the chat we had about sadness with clinical psychologist Joshua Klapow, Ph.D. Then be sure to upvote the memes you could easily relate to, and let us know what you think in the comments!
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When the internet is awash with content to make us feel better, from cute cat videos to wholesome memes to inspirational quotes, it seems like real emotions and real struggles of life often get pushed to the sidelines.
But the 'Mad Sad Not Good' is here to shed light on our emotional side and make our little sad selves feel understood. Although the account still seems to be growing, as it has amassed over 17k followers on the platform, it’s truly a refreshing outlet that allows us to experience sadness, and even helps to laugh it away.
Without supervision. I want to hear truths. But that's what employee reviews are for, too.
The world is beautiful. People are (mostly) awesome. We carry all the world's knowledge in our pockets, and life expectancy and healthcare is about the highest it's ever been in all of human existence. Write to your local politicians about oil, stop eating meat, and get out and enjoy the beauty around you.
Load More Replies...A pessimist thinks the world's as bad as it can possibly get. An optimist hopes the pessimist is right.
I really like this! But there's a huge difference between pessimism and depression. I wouldn't say this if only I knew that it wasn't still necessary to explain it. Don't mean you in person. But sadly, still too many people think that people can cure depression all by themselves if only they'd "just look at things more positively" or anything similar. It's not "just thinking too much", it's not sadness, it's not cured by just laughing a bit more or going out more. It's not making anything better to get told that "some people are worse off" - the opposite. Depression is a real disease, and it's very sad that this still needs to be pointed out. Same with anxiety. I don't know how often I have to hear the advice "just gather some courage!" If it was that easy, many people would just avoid to suffer horrible panic attacks which sometimes are so bad like the breathlessness could be deadly this time.
Load More Replies...The other day I told my mother "You know, when we were having that conversation last week I almost said 'if the last few years have taught me anything it's that there's no point in hoping for things', and I thought that was really sad". And she said, quite matter of factly, "Oh, that's how we all feel these days."
Making plans these days seems more like daydreaming than actual concrete plans of years before, too
Load More Replies...Just stop watching news. Stop using social medias and get outside everyday. Then the world is decent again. We can't handle the constant reminder that people on the other side the globe is starving andstuff like that. Or justwatch news once every week
I was in a meeting about Philanthropy as it related to the Boys & Girls Club. This young man was talking about how he was an avid activist wanting to change the opportunities for all youth as it relates to education. He said he is often approached by older politicians and leaders and asked "You appear upset. Why are you so angry about this?" He responded "Why aren't you? You should be equally angry about the state of education and the access to it." A 19 year old guy just opened my eyes up to how to prevent people from shutting you down when you know there is a problem that needs correcting.
It's the world. Look around. We are close to lose our democracy (in the US, but other countries are also not doing well),people fabricate their own truths, shoot each other and we are inches from nuclear war. Either you live under a rock or you cannot help being depressed.
My therapist asked ME this question 30 years ago. She turned my thinking around, and I loved her for that.
Emotions have a strong influence on our daily lives and life in general. It’s easy to say that sadness feels bad, and happiness feels good, but our inner world is so much more complicated than that. So to gain more insight on the topic, we reached out to Joshua Klapow, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist, performance coach, and creator of Mental Drive. Klapow works with individuals and organizations across the globe to help them improve productivity, health, and achieve their goals.
Being the founder of a psychological well-being initiative that helps people access the best-in-class psychological tools to live healthier, more fulfilled, and successful lives, he was more than happy to share insights on the matter.
Klapow explained to Bored Panda that sadness is a universal human experience. This emotional state is often characterized by feelings of unhappiness and low mood. And although it’s simply a normal part of life, many people tend to hide their gloomy feelings. But whether it’s out of fear of coming across as melancholic, vulnerable, or simply wanting to experience our emotions in solitude, the psychologists stressed that "we can’t avoid it and it shouldn’t be avoided."
"Sadness is an emotion like any other," he added. "It is a signal that something is not what we desire." This emotional state is usually temporary and transitory, and it naturally occurs when we go through life’s inevitable ups and downs. "Sadness is not an emotion to be feared. It is an emotion to be experienced," Klapow said, adding that without sadness we’d have no comparison for what happiness is.
it’s like how, yes, money cannot buy outright happiness, but boy does it sure relieve a lot of stress and anxiety.
While many people fear that a persistent and longer-lasting drop in their mood may turn them into pessimistic people who ruminate negatively about the past, present, and future, Klapow assured that sadness in no way has to lead to pessimism. "In fact, some of the most optimistic people experience sadness all the time," he added. "Sadness is an emotion; it is part of our experience and is a signal that we are feeling."
The clinical psychologist added that pessimistic people often are not sad: "They spend so much time seeing the negative side of life that they never move to happiness. They essentially stay neither sad nor happy, but simply in the negative."
When you went on vacation you were unavailable and unreachable. I'm in Edinburgh Brenda, I don't need to see the effing salad you had for lunch, thank you
When we experience these complex emotions, we may feel inclined to just push through them and wait until they pass. But in some instances, Klapow said, sadness can be scary. "It can make us feel isolated or as if the emotion we are experiencing is uniquely ours."
That’s why so many people turn online to share their experiences and know they are not alone. "Seeking out others who feel the same is supportive and validating," the creator of Mental Drive noted. "As well, sometimes we want to be sad, but our own defense mechanism stands in the way. Much like looking for a sad song, when we are sad and want to fully experience the emotion, we will seek out those cues that help move it along so that we can experience and move forward."
To anyone feeling sad or blue, it may feel like this emotion is beginning to dominate all aspects of your life. But Klapow wanted to remind you that you have a choice: "Do you want to dive deeper or is it time to pull out and up?" According to him, depending on the situation and what you are experiencing, this can be easier or more difficult.
"If you feel that you need to and want to experience sadness, do it. Go all in," he added. Remember that most emotional experiences last a relatively short time, and gloomy moods should fade away over time. "Think about what is making you sad, read posts, listen to music. Work through the full experience of sadness."
"If you don’t want to be in that state, then work to pull out. Surround yourself with people and cues that make you happy," Klapow added. After all, there are definitely moments when you can laugh or be comforted by your loved ones. Allow the sadness to move to the background by talking about it, crying, venting, exercising, or trying out other methods of releasing your feelings. "Sadness is an emotion. Sometimes it’s the right time, sometimes it’s not. But it is always ok to be sad," Klapow concluded.
I had a dream in which the government gave everyone an "Entertainment Cube" - basically a six-sided giant TV with free 24 hour entertainment, which was mandatory to own and use. Trying to damage it could get you arrested. Next day I told a friend about the dream and she said "Of course, in real life everyone would be falling over themselves to get an Entertainment Cube."
It's pretty astonishing just how adaptable us humans are. Up to a point, anyway.
Its actually looking nitrogen which isn't available in it's swampy soil
I've seen this post many times. Having worked in customer service (in the past) for many years, my guess is that the customer was, probably, the b***h yesterday and was in a better mood today, when she called back.
It was always a relief to know I wasn't the only one. Knowing that had a way of relieving the pressure.
I usually have it when I’m out - a random glimpse of a reflection, cue: oh, duck me, is that really what I look like?
lol Two types of people: those who need to plan that far ahead and those who are incapable of planning beyond the next few days. I feel you, brother.
Sometimes I base my meals and snacking on the amount of dishes it will require.
Me yesterday: thinking 2003 was practically yesterday, then looking over at my teenage child who wasn't alive
That's f*****g amazing. I really hope it's true and not just a sad, but funny meme.
This one made me laugh. Okay, my mouth twitched a little. Still a big deal.
bruh this- i almost drowned in a wave pool this summer and f*cking apologized to the lifeguard when he had to jump in and get me out.. :l my cousins laughed once we had recovered from the shock
Have you ever tried to have breakfast in bed? It's cumbersome, awkward and you're constantly concerned about spilling food. Not to mention if someone wakes you up with breakfast in bed, like, can you hold that tray awkwardly while I go to the bathroom first?
What have a been paying my therapist for all these years?! Best ADHD advice I've ever found! :D
My first thoughts were: sad and true, but funny. Then I remembered the title of this list. 🤷
I just stop responding all together. If that doesnt work, I just walk away without a word. One time, the person went to my husband and started telling him the story and said, "I'll just tell you bc your wife just walked away" I felt bad for the hubby....kinda. (evil laugh)
As a kid I played sports and piano, and now as an adult I also struggle to find hobbies and talents I really enjoy.
Is that profile picture of Shia Labeouf or am I just getting a touch of blindness
I just dc anymore, everyone has ro deal with my bs now =)
911 can we have some medics over here please we've got a severe burn that needs medical attention stat *over*
Here's my sad meme- Here are 140 memes to enjoy BUT when you get to the 50th one, when you try to load SHOW 90 MORE, it won't load them
After the articles have been up a while and they have enough votes to see which ones are favourites, BP cut the lists down so that you aren't wading through a ton of s**t ones at the end. Sounds like you hit the article right when they'd cut the most down but before they changed the title
Load More Replies...Who the hell is stalking and writing about me in memes
It's the ghost. You ate the last cookie and now they're out for revenge.
Load More Replies...Here's my sad meme- Here are 140 memes to enjoy BUT when you get to the 50th one, when you try to load SHOW 90 MORE, it won't load them
After the articles have been up a while and they have enough votes to see which ones are favourites, BP cut the lists down so that you aren't wading through a ton of s**t ones at the end. Sounds like you hit the article right when they'd cut the most down but before they changed the title
Load More Replies...Who the hell is stalking and writing about me in memes
It's the ghost. You ate the last cookie and now they're out for revenge.
Load More Replies...