“In sooth I know not why I am so sad.” (Merchant of Venice I.i.1)
Sadness is a natural part of life, but it can also be very frustrating to feel sorrow and not know why. This quiz can help guide you towards why you might be feeling sad.
Of course, there are as many reasons to feel sad as there are stars in the sky, so this quiz is not exhaustive. But if you are feeling sad all the time and can’t figure out why you may want to seek help or check out our “Why am I sad” quiz.
1. Has any significant change happened in your life recently?
A. I didn’t get a job/promotion/project I wanted
B. Not my life in particular, but the world is a stressful place
C. Nothing really major
D. I’m having a lot of romance trouble
2. Have you talked to your friends about your feelings?
A. No, I’m hoping someone might reach out
B. Yes, but they can’t help, they don’t control how my boss treats me
C. Yes, they try to give me advice, but they only know so much
D. Some, but they might be dealing with their own problems
3. How long have you felt this way?
A. Since I had a big fight with my partner
B. Since I got/lost this job
C. For a while, since I last really connected to someone
D. Off and on; since I started really thinking about what’s going on
4. Does anything come to mind when you get sad?
A. Politics/World Issues
B. My partner/this person I really like
C. My friends and how long it’s been since I’ve seen them
D. My frustrating boss
5. What other feelings can you identify in your sadness?
A. Frustration
B. Isolation
C. Anger
D. Worthlessness
6. Does anything make you feel better?
A. Not reading the news
B. Getting a text from a friend
C. Communicating with my partner
D. Taking time to do something I really love doing
7. If you imagined a world where you felt happy, what would be the most important feature of that world?
A. It would be run by people who hold my same ideal
B. I would be madly in love with my partner, and they would be madly in love with me
C. I’d surrounded by loved ones
D. I would have a great career where I am appreciated
8. Do you find yourself talking about one thing in particular?
A. Yes, one person who I care about a lot
B. The state of the world
C. To myself, you mean? Because there is no one around to talk to
D. What’s wrong with me/ why didn’t I deserve to get that promotion?
9. Do your friends think they know why you are sad?
A. It doesn’t seem like they care
B. Yeah, but they say everyone has to deal with that right now
C. They think I deserve a better partner
D. They think I need to move on and find bigger and better things
10. What triggers you to cry or feel sad right now?
A. Fights with my partner, or when we just can’t communicate
B. Reading news and hearing about everything that is happening
C. When I am at my job
D. I think I have no one who cares about me
11. Have you been in a relationship in the last couple of months?
A. No, not really
B. I have been in a long-term relationship
C. No, my job takes up most of my time
D. No, and I haven’t even been with someone casually
12. What do your loved ones think is the reason for your sadness?
A. The lack of a partner
B. My sensitivity to state of the society/world
C. The state of my career
D. I don’t really have people around who tell me these things
13. Do you think that your career means the most to you?
A. No, my personal life matters more
B. No, so many other things matter more to me
C. Yes, this might be true
D. I’m not sure what matters to me
14. Do you have people in your life that you can talk to about your problems?
A. No, I like to keep my problems to myself
B. No, they have their own issues to keep them busy
C. Yes, a few
D. I’m thankful to have a strong support system
15. When do you feel the saddest?
A. When I see happy couple
B. After listening to the news
C. When I am at work or thinking about my career
D. All the time
