proverb · Words worth keeping
Sadness and gladness succeed each other.
Sadness and gladness succeed each other.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Experience can include both sorrowful and joyful periods. The saying offers a perspective on change, without promising a regular cycle or telling someone that a difficult feeling must quickly disappear.
Example
A participant feels disappointed after a cancelled performance and later enjoys a different gathering, without pretending that the later pleasure erases the earlier disappointment.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The proverb places sadness and gladness in succession rather than treating either as the whole of life. A useful reading leaves room for a later experience that differs from the present one. It does not prescribe how long an emotion should last or require finding something pleasant in a painful event. Different circumstances can overlap, and one experience may not cancel another. The saying can serve as a gentle reminder of variety while respecting what a person is actually feeling. It is not a clinical account of mood or a substitute for support when someone needs help.
When to use it
Use it gently when acknowledging that experiences can change while present feelings still deserve respect.
Keep in mind
Avoid imposed reassurance or fixed timelines; later joy does not erase loss, and support may still be needed.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown
- Culture
- English