SHOCKING: This can make you happier

They say happiness is entirely subjective in that what makes one person happy might not have the same effect on someone else.

Interestingly, not only is listening to sad music very common, but it has been linked with increased happiness around the world.

In a study that looked at nearly 800 people on the eastern and western hemispheres, researchers discovered that listening to sad music generated beneficial emotional effects like regulating negative emotion and mood as well as consolation.

Put simply, these findings have me baffled, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

When I want to get in a good mood, I listen to upbeat, uplifting music. Such songs include "Happy" by Pharrell Williams, "Can't Stop the Feeling" by Justin Timberlake, and "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina & The Waves.

That sad music can make someone more merry seems counter-intuitive. Nothing depresses me more than listening to songs involving people dying or having their hearts broken. The way I see it, there's enough negativity in the world as it is. I don't need music of all things making me feel blue!

I suppose sad music can make people feel happy that they're not in the situation the singer finds themselves in. If that's the case, though, couldn't sad movies and pictures have a similar effect?

What's your take? Has a sad song ever made you happier? Do you find the study surprising?

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