<p><a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=BeFM2zMAAAAJ&amp;hl=en&amp;oi=ao" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Maya Tamir's work</a> probably sheds the most light here.  Her work suggests that we're not merely trying to avoid bad feelings and promote good ones.  Instead, we want to feel what's most <strong><em>useful</em></strong> to us.  We want to feel emotions that help us realize our goals (<a href="https://www2.bc.edu/maya-tamir/download/Tamir_CDir_2009.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Tamir, 2009</a>).  If we think sadness has some positive behavioral value, then we'll try to upregulate it.  </p>

<p>Rumination is an extreme example of this kind of focus on negative feelings, where chronic ruminators share metacognitive beliefs about the positive value of focusing on negative feelings and thoughts (e.g., <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/46015926/a_3A102396233239920160528-20379-1ovu8bh.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAIWOWYYGZ2Y53UL3A&amp;Expires=1514494820&amp;Signature=iKfPZ6cce7CqX4hl2n5KoLl4GpE%3D&amp;response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%3DAn_empirical_test_of_a_clinical_metacogn.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Papageorgiou &amp; Wells, 2001</a>).  They think that rumination helps them to understand their feelings and prevent future mistakes, even though it's ultimately maladaptive.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-28T10:36:26.360Z
thanks but third link doesn't work
user46147
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-28T04:27:36.407Z
2017-12-28T20:00:39.827Z
2017-12-28T20:00:39.827Z
mrt
<p>I'm not sure of the research on this one, but there are probably many reasons why. For one, it is like role-playing or perspective taking. One is not actually sadened but takes on the role of it. It can be an enjoyable, unique experience.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-27T23:43:45.790Z
This post does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Arnon Weinberg
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-27T18:23:25.317Z
2017-12-27T18:23:25.317Z
user17989
<p>Why do people like to listen to sad songs?</p>

<p>Sadness is not a positive feeling, so people should avoid it, right? Listening to sad songs is like inflicting some pain to yourself just for pleasure.</p>

<p>Did someone studied this? Why do people like sad songs? Is it similar mechanism to masochism? What is evolutionary role of feeling sad on purpose? What is neurological background of this phenomenon?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-13T11:32:19.360Z
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/the-scientific-reason-why-some-of-us-enjoy-sad-songs-more-than-others-a7316626.html is a good start: apparently "empathisers" like sad songs more than others do.
got trolled too much this week
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-29T10:23:40.957Z
Because “Sad songs say so much”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sad_Songs_(Say_So_Much)
jjack
<neuroscience><emotion><psychology><music><brain>
Why do people like to listen to sad songs?
user46147
# Why do people like to listen to sad songs?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-12-10)

Why do people like to listen to sad songs?

Sadness is not a positive feeling, so people should avoid it, right? Listening to sad songs is like inflicting some pain to yourself just for pleasure.

Did someone studied this? Why do people like sad songs? Is it similar mechanism to masochism? What is evolutionary role of feeling sad on purpose? What is neurological background of this phenomenon?

**Tags:** neuroscience, emotion, psychology, music, brain

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/the-scientific-reason-why-some-of-us-enjoy-sad-songs-more-than-others-a7316626.html is a good start: apparently "empathisers" like sad songs more than others do.  
> **username_2**: Because “Sad songs say so much”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sad_Songs_(Say_So_Much)  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2017-12-28. Score: 2

[Maya Tamir's work](https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=BeFM2zMAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao) probably sheds the most light here. Her work suggests that we're not merely trying to avoid bad feelings and promote good ones. Instead, we want to feel what's most ***useful*** to us. We want to feel emotions that help us realize our goals ([Tamir, 2009](https://www2.bc.edu/maya-tamir/download/Tamir_CDir_2009.pdf)). If we think sadness has some positive behavioral value, then we'll try to upregulate it.

Rumination is an extreme example of this kind of focus on negative feelings, where chronic ruminators share metacognitive beliefs about the positive value of focusing on negative feelings and thoughts (e.g., [Papageorgiou & Wells, 2001](https://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/46015926/a_3A102396233239920160528-20379-1ovu8bh.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAIWOWYYGZ2Y53UL3A&Expires=1514494820&Signature=iKfPZ6cce7CqX4hl2n5KoLl4GpE%3D&response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%3DAn_empirical_test_of_a_clinical_metacogn.pdf)). They think that rumination helps them to understand their feelings and prevent future mistakes, even though it's ultimately maladaptive.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: thanks but third link doesn't work  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2017-12-27. Score: 0

I'm not sure of the research on this one, but there are probably many reasons why. For one, it is like role-playing or perspective taking. One is not actually sadened but takes on the role of it. It can be an enjoyable, unique experience.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: This post does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.  

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