Why do we feel sadness and what is the root cause of it?
We don't really know why emotions make us feel certain ways, but we do know what causes the specific feelings. Your brain considers physical sensations and sensations caused by your mind to be the same thing. We don't know why it works this way, but it does.
The Short Answer
We don't really know why emotions make us feel certain ways, but we do know what causes the specific feelings. Your brain considers physical sensations and sensations caused by your mind to be the same thing. We don't know why it works this way, but it does. Since sadness is mental pain, the brain treats it similar (but not identical) to physical pain, and releases lots of fun hormones to help you responds to it. I suppose you could say the root cause really is that the way we feel things was at some point extremely important to the survival of species that would eventually give rise to humanity.
Analysis
Key Concepts: Know, don't, feel
This explanation focuses on know, don't, feel and spans 109 words across 5 sentences. At 60% above the average Psychology explanation (68 words), this is one of the more thorough answers in this category, reflecting the complexity of the underlying question.
What This Answer Covers
The explanation opens with: “We don't really know why emotions make us feel certain ways, but we do know what causes the specific feelings.” It then elaborates by presenting a contrasting perspective, ultimately building toward a complete picture across 5 connected points.
How This Compares in Psychology
Ranked #94 of 500 Psychology questions by answer depth (top 20%). This places it in the comprehensive tier — the top quarter of most thoroughly answered questions. Questions at this depth typically involve multi-faceted topics requiring nuanced explanation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a simple explanation for why we feel sadness and what is the root cause of it?
We don't really know why emotions make us feel certain ways, but we do know what causes the specific feelings. Your brain considers physical sensations and sensations caused by your mind to be the same thing. We don't know why it works this way, but…
How detailed is this explanation compared to similar Psychology questions?
This is one of the most thorough answer at 109 words, ranked #94 of 500 Psychology questions by depth. The key concepts covered are know, don't, feel.
What approach does this answer take to explain we feel sadness and what is the root cause of it?
The explanation uses root cause analysis and contrasting perspectives across 109 words. It is categorized under Psychology and addresses the question through 2 analytical lenses.