The Mystery of Tragedy

[Elok]

Just an open-ended question: why do you think human beings (or at least some of them) enjoy watching/reading/hearing depressing things? Shakespeare's tragedies, for example, or blues songs, or those Victorian novels that were required by law to have at least one angelic child who died of TB. For a more modern example, consider that episode of Futurama with Fry's dog, or Pixar's Up. It's basically biologically impossible to sit through the first fifteen minutes of Up without tearing up a little. And it's awesome. And that's, uh, kinda weird, isn't it?

Why do we get off on this? I can think of a couple of possible explanations, none of them entirely satisfying. Sometimes it might be that the horrible business going on makes the heroes look all the more heroic despite their downfall (as in King Lear), or to make the eventual happy ending seem brighter (Up). Probably it's partially cathartic, as in the blues, to listen when you're feeling down and know other people have been down too. And sometimes it might be the reverse: your problems don't look nearly so bad when compared to, say, a crippled outcast who winds up killing his dad, nailing his mom, and then blinding himself and wandering the wilderness until he dies when he finds out.

Uh, discuss, and stuff.

[Felch]

It's basically biologically impossible to sit through the first fifteen minutes of Up without tearing up a little.

For the record, I weep like a little ***** every time I see the story of Carl and Ellie. Cracked had an article about this a couple weeks ago.

[Kidlicious]

Just an open-ended question: why do you think human beings (or at least some of them) enjoy watching/reading/hearing depressing things? Shakespeare's tragedies, for example, or blues songs, or those Victorian novels that were required by law to have at least one angelic child who died of TB. For a more modern example, consider that episode of Futurama with Fry's dog, or Pixar's Up. It's basically biologically impossible to sit through the first fifteen minutes of Up without tearing up a little. And it's awesome. And that's, uh, kinda weird, isn't it?

Why do we get off on this? I can think of a couple of possible explanations, none of them entirely satisfying. Sometimes it might be that the horrible business going on makes the heroes look all the more heroic despite their downfall (as in King Lear), or to make the eventual happy ending seem brighter (Up). Probably it's partially cathartic, as in the blues, to listen when you're feeling down and know other people have been down too. And sometimes it might be the reverse: your problems don't look nearly so bad when compared to, say, a crippled outcast who winds up killing his dad, nailing his mom, and then blinding himself and wandering the wilderness until he dies when he finds out.

Uh, discuss, and stuff.

Jerks don't like sad movies and novels - FACT!

[Dauphin]

Ah pathos.

You made me think of this:

[Imran Siddiqui]

I think its mostly cathartic. It allows you to embrace your pain and sadness, because you know others have gone through it as well and that sense of not being alone can be wonderful. Also it is easier to watch a movie and share your pain with the screen as opposed to necessarily keep talking about your grief to your friends (who may not be all that supportive or whatnot).

[Imran Siddiqui]

DP

[Guynemer]

For a more modern example, consider that episode of Futurama with Fry's dog, or Pixar's Up.

god damn you.

[loinburger]

I read an article in National Geographic saying that people who go through hypothetical tragedies will know to avoid real tragedies. In other words, Mary has never exercised the tragedy center of her brain by experiencing tragic stories; her child goes missing in the woods, she under reacts ("Whatever, I'm sure my kid will turn up eventually") which results in the death of her child, which devastates her and leads to her drinking herself to death. In contrast, Susan has exercised the tragedy center of her brain by watching Shakespeare or soap operas or whatever; her child goes missing in the woods, so she quickly organizes a search party because she knows by experience that she'll be devastated by the loss of her child since in the past she's been somewhat devastated by the loss of hypothetical children. Meanwhile, the pleasure centers of our brains reward us for experiencing hypothetical tragedies, because people who exercise the tragedy centers of their brains are at an evolutionary advantage to those who are happy all of the time.

[self biased]

god damn you.

[loinburger]

[Kidlicious]

I guess you had to be there.

[regexcellent]

I'm not a fan of depressing stuff in general. Part of the reason I enjoyed Tom Clancy's books so much (that's the early books, written in the '80s and stuff, not the newer horrible craptacular ones), is because nothing particularly tragic ever happens and you KNOW that nothing tragic is going to happen.

[Aeson]

The entire US gov being wiped out and all was perhaps a good thing, but interrupting the Super Bowl?

-------------

Les Miserables is my favorite. Mainly because so many of the characters have inspiring reactions to the tragedies in their life. But also because it helps to create empathy towards what we might generally look at as social pariahs, and antagonists.

Tragedies can also be funny. Candide.

[giblets]

I'm not a fan of depressing stuff in general. Part of the reason I enjoyed Tom Clancy's books so much (that's the early books, written in the '80s and stuff, not the newer horrible craptacular ones), is because nothing particularly tragic ever happens and you KNOW that nothing tragic is going to happen.

Wouldn't that make the books less interesting?

[Hauldren Collider]

He's wrong, bad things do happen to the good guys in Tom Clancy books, but you can be sure that America never loses.