A new study had people who were depressed listen to different types of music. And they preferred sad songs over happy ones. But it's not because they just wanted to wallow in their own misery. It turns out listening to sad music when you're sad can actually make you HAPPIER.
People in the study had to listen to different songs that were either sad, neutral, or happy. And they tended to prefer slow, sad songs, like Adagio for Strings from the movie Platoon...which is one of the saddest songs ever.
Then researchers had them listen to the same songs later on. And again, the sad songs made them feel the happiest. It's not totally clear why that's the case. But the researchers think it's because listening to happy, uplifting music can be IRRITATING when you're feeling down. And there was a similar study recently, where people who were depressed said that sad music was almost like a supportive friend they could lean on.
SOURCE: The British Psychological Society
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