justkillingtime wrote:
Fnord wrote:
Doesn't anyone know that there is a difference between misery and self-pity?
Is self-pity a subset of misery?
mis·er·y (n):
1. wretchedness of condition or circumstances.
2. distress or suffering caused by need, privation, or poverty.
3. great mental or emotional distress; extreme unhappiness.
4. a cause or source of distress.
self-pit·y (n): pity for oneself, especially
a self-indulgent attitude concerning one's own difficulties, hardships, etc.
Generally,
misery is a feeling of distress or anxiety over one's circumstances, while
self-pity is the excessive or unrestrained gratification of one's circumstance-induced misery.
Or, to put it more graphically,
a miserable person might seek help to get out of his or her circumstances, while
a self-pitying person might complain endlessly about his or her circumstances just for the attention, while ignoring or dismissing any advice or suggestions as to how to change their circumstances.