Bittersweet

"Bittersweetness is a tendency to states of long­ing, poignancy, and sorrow; an acute aware­ness of passing time; and a curiously piercing joy at the beauty of the world. It recognizes that light and dark, birth and death—bitter and sweet—are forever paired. _x000D_
If you’ve ever wondered why you like sad music . . . _x000D_
If you find comfort or inspiration in a rainy day . . . _x000D_
If you react intensely to music, art, nature, and beauty . . ._x000D_
Then you probably identify with the bitter­sweet state of mind._x000D_
With Quiet, Susan Cain urged our society to cultivate space for the undervalued, indispensable introverts among us, thereby revealing an un­tapped power hidden in plain sight. Now she em­ploys the same mix of research, storytelling, and memoir to explore why we experience sorrow and longing, and how embracing the bittersweetness at the heart of life is the true path to creativity, con­nection, and transcendence._x000D_
Cain shows how a bittersweet state of mind is the quiet force that helps us transcend our personal and collective pain, whether from a death or breakup, addiction or illness. If we don’t acknowledge our own heartache, she says, we can end up inflicting it on others via abuse, domination, or neglect. But if we realize that all humans know—or will know—loss and suffering, we can turn toward one another. _x000D_
At a time of profound discord and personal anxiety, Bittersweet brings us together in deep and unexpected ways."