In this era, where we have become more so vulnerable on the internet, which is for the better, and helps others see that they are not alone in whatever pitfall that they find themselves in. But in my humble opinion, somewhere along the line of this emotional vulnerability and being open about your mental health, we have made sadness an aesthetic, like posting a sad selfie in black and white on your story with a Lana song in the background.
Sadness has become merely an aesthetic with so many people using terms like “I’m depressed” so openly in their day to day lives, like “Oh I couldn’t attend because I was depressed” which in reality is a term that carries so much weight of meaning, and someone with actually diagnosed clinical depression, wouldn’t be able to talk about it that easily.
In my opinion, sadness is not merely posting about it on your social media, and someone whose actually going through a tough won’t want to post it on their stories. Terms like “sad girl era” has become so prevalent these days, which almost drives out the real sadness from the picture.
It makes you question, that am I actually sad? or are we just giving into and identifying with the aesthetic sadness economy? because real grief is ugly, un-aesthetic, its the crying without a reason during the day, waking up at 3am with thousands of voices in your mind, not wanting to get out of bed, tear soaked pillow covers etc. you get the gist.
My point is not that it’s not okay to share your grief with others, my point is that sadness is not merely an aesthetic, people who have actually experienced grief do not find it that easy to talk about it, but when they do it is genuine, not for the aesthetics, not for views, and not for sympathy.
But I am also not saying, it’s not okay to express it, I do too, in my writing, in my work, everything, my point is to say that sadness is not merely an aesthetic that you live, or you do to be relatable in the society.
At last, my dearest readers I leave you with this quote:
“Grief, when it comes, is nothing like we expect it to be.”
– Joan Didion, The Year of Magical Thinking
curated with love, Angad
PARCHMENT OF THOUGHTS 
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