Sun arrived into the late morning with clouds and rain again by late afternoon. The winds overnight were not huge, but there were many small branches down. I took time to gather up the largest of these in my favoutite game of 'pick up sticks'. <smile> Inside I completed the laundry for the week, got some floors swept and managed to do a chunk of the household account pile.
This week I've been pondering three states of being -- angst, weltschmerz and ennui. So -- some quick definitions here come with the understanding that books exist covering each of these terms. Angst manifests as a bit of frustration or anger mixed with tedium. Weltschmerz refers to a pain for the world around us. Ennui can present as a feeling of unrest due to lack of inspiration. Kierkegaard defined this as a feeling of nothingness. I've thought about these before and still came to the same conclusion. The three concepts are clearly related, though somewhat distinct. They all deal with aspects of world weariness and a sense of boredom or unease. Of the three, I prefer the term ennui even if it covers aspects of the other two ideas. It is interesting that many philosophers have spent much time thinking of and naming the nebulous feelings. In some way, that can be comforting since these are clearly felt by many other people. Having words to describe it all can be useful and may help to move focus to being kind to oneself.
A song I have used in the past has been running through my mind this week. It is one of many that deal with aspects of the feelings pondered. Keep safe. Enjoy!
The Grand Ennui -- Michael Nesmith
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