This is the only word I have to describe things these days.
Weltschmerz
Pronounced velt-shmehrts
From the German welt, meaning 'world', and schmerz, which can be translated as 'pain', 'grief', or 'agony'. Weltschmerz is often translated as world-sorrow, or world-weariness. It is often capitalized.
1. World-weariness.
2. Sadness over the state of the world. (Many dictionaries define it as "sadness over the woes of the world", or "Sadness over the inability of the world to live up to ideals").
3. Pessimism, especially romantic pessimism.
4. A mood of sentimental sadness.
5. Slang for heroin withdrawal.
I dont even speak German , and who knew Zee Germans would have been so insightful as to coin a word which perfectly describes the sorry state of the world- or at least what our reaction to it usually is.
So ... why the glum face? Where to begin !! Well lets start at the recent state of maniac decapitations in the world , in Canada , Santorini, Saudi, UK.... the list seems to go on! When did this become so popular - its cropping up all over the place seemingly , and the more media coverage it gets - the more frequently it is occuring !
What else? How about Zimbabwe's looney tunes leader Mugabe , the man who wont leave office anyother way except in a box - this one is ensuring his longevity as leader is preserved the old fashionned way - as the world looks on.
Weltschmerz
Pronounced velt-shmehrts
From the German welt, meaning 'world', and schmerz, which can be translated as 'pain', 'grief', or 'agony'. Weltschmerz is often translated as world-sorrow, or world-weariness. It is often capitalized.
1. World-weariness.
2. Sadness over the state of the world. (Many dictionaries define it as "sadness over the woes of the world", or "Sadness over the inability of the world to live up to ideals").
3. Pessimism, especially romantic pessimism.
4. A mood of sentimental sadness.
5. Slang for heroin withdrawal.
I dont even speak German , and who knew Zee Germans would have been so insightful as to coin a word which perfectly describes the sorry state of the world- or at least what our reaction to it usually is.
So ... why the glum face? Where to begin !! Well lets start at the recent state of maniac decapitations in the world , in Canada , Santorini, Saudi, UK.... the list seems to go on! When did this become so popular - its cropping up all over the place seemingly , and the more media coverage it gets - the more frequently it is occuring !
What else? How about Zimbabwe's looney tunes leader Mugabe , the man who wont leave office anyother way except in a box - this one is ensuring his longevity as leader is preserved the old fashionned way - as the world looks on.
Lets not even go into Mr. Bush's legacy after his second term in office. The fallout from his foreign policy has severed even further race relations in the world - with East and West being pitted against each other - each one convinced the other is standing directly against all that it stands for.
The Jumeirah Janes of this world continue to write into seven days news paper , soapboxing with thg over different issues in their lives. Nobody is happy with their lot these days - and I , for one, am thinking of opting out !
So , is Weltschmerz just an Emo sensation or is it a genuine reaction to how f%&*ed up the world has become? I dont think this word is a new concept - its definately pre-bush , so the question is - shouldnt there be some new version - like "uber - super- funky-weltschmerz"
I would love to ask a little girl in China ,Yang Peiyi , what she makes of her world - and if SHE thinks the word Weltschmerz applies to her existence...
1 comment:
Sounds like it's time for a holiday and a large bottle of vodka ;-)
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