Recently I was reading the SDMB and caught a thread about a poster’s wedding preparations. I was happy for the poster, but that happiness was also tinged with a little sadness because it was the death of a dream for me: I’d been attracted to that poster and there was just the tiniest bit of hope there. This kind of thing has happened before, in real life even; I once went to the wedding of someone I was deeply attracted to and grieved the death of my hopes even as I celebrated her happiness.
My question: is there a single word for this kind of simultaneous pain and joy?
Because instead of taking delight in the misery of another, you’re getting misery from the delight of another.
OK, I get that that’s not quite what you’re going for (since you’re getting happiness and saddness from their happiness), but still, it ought to be a word.
Yes, ‘bittersweet’ is the best word I could come up with… but it’s an adjective.
And it’s not quite the same as finding that the hot celebrity is getting married, either, because the ordinary person never had a chance there anyways. For example, there was an article about Deepika Padukone in today’s Toronto Star, and I was smitten, but I’d have to be a generation younger, rich, and living in India to even get close to her social circles.
Hey! No need to come up with the word. It’s more than possible (probable, even) that this person is doing all of these wedding preparations to set up a surprise wedding. Not to ruin the surprise, but they ARE in vogue right now. Keep an eye on your mailbox every day it might hold that invitation to a party were you are a co guest of honor!
