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Researchers found that watching a tragedy movie caused people to think about their own close relationships, which in turn boosted their life happiness. The result was that what seems like a negative experience — watching a sad story — made people happier by bringing attention to some positive aspects in their own lives.
“Tragic stories often focus on themes of eternal love, and this leads viewers to think about their loved ones and count their blessings,” said Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick, lead author of the study and associate professor of communication at Ohio State University.
The key is the extent to which viewers thought about their own relationships as a result of watching the movie. The more they thought about their loved ones, the greater the increase in their happiness. Viewers who had self-centered thoughts concerning the movie — such as “My life isn’t as bad as the characters in this movie” — did not see an increase in their happiness. -Science Daily
Fiction Writing Prompt: Write a scene where your character attends a tragic movie. Include internal dialogue and emotional reaction.
Journaling Prompt: Write about your favorite movie with a tragic ending and how you responded to it.
Art Prompt: Tragedy
Non-Fiction / Speechwriting Prompt: Write about the role that movies play in your life.
Photo Credit: cliff1066TM on Flickr
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