Weltschmerz

Weltschmerz (from the ) is a term coined by the German Author Jean Paul and denotes the kind of feeling experienced by someone who understands that the Physical Reality can never satisfy the demands of the Mind . This kind of Pessimistic World View was widespread among several Romantic authors such as Lord Byron , Giacomo Leopardi , François-René De Chateaubriand , Alfred De Musset , Nikolaus Lenau and Heinrich Heine .

It is also used to denote the feeling of Sadness when thinking about the evils of the World – compare Empathy , Theodicy .

The modern meaning of ''Weltschmerz'' in the German Language is the Psychological Pain caused by Sadness , that can occur when realizing that someone's own weaknesses are caused by the inappropiateness and cruelness of the World and (physical and social) circumstances. ''Weltschmerz'' in this meaning can cause Depression , Resignation and Escapism , and can become a mental problem (compare to Hikikomori ).

John Steinbeck wrote about this feeling in his self-proclaimed greatest novel, East Of Eden . He referred to it as the Welshrats.

In pop music, Weltschmerz and especially dark romanticism play an important part in the Goth Subculture .

''See also'': Weltanschauung , and tangentially, Sturm Und Drang

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