Misery Loves Company
When we feel bad, knowing other people share our feelings encourages us. Misery loves company.
To have friends or family tell us they have experienced our troubles helps us feel better. If they go through their problems the same time as ours, we support one another.
Misery loves company means we hate to suffer alone.
Mutual pain makes our pain easier to bear.
Misery loves company sometimes comes from a mean motive.
- If we hurt, we want others to hurt.
- If we feel down in the dumps, we want everyone down in the dumps too.
- If we fail, we want the world to fail.
We think everyone should feel as bad as we do.
Other times, our motives remain pure.
We don’t want others to suffer. Yet, it helps to know we are not alone. Having someone who understands from experience makes a big difference. We:
- Trust them
- Feel comfortable with them
- Cry with them
- Laugh with them
- Pray for better days ahead
Friends help friends in good times and bad.
In all life’s ups and downs, we remain there for one another. I appreciate the prayers and love so many of you have expressed in recent years.
“It was good of you to share in my troubles” (Philippians 4:14 NIV).
Thanks to Janna Babak for the suggestion.
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12 thoughts on “Misery Loves Company”
I had always heard it only in the negative sense. Unfortunately, I know people who want everyone to feel as bad as they do. Time to lift them up. Thanks, Diana.
Thank you, Tracy. My experience has been similar to yours. I definitely prefer the positive slant of support for one another.
Diana, I wonder how you and your husband are getting on these days? I hope you both are OK moving forward. You live in Kentucky right? I’ve never been there. Misery loves company when it comes to chemical dependency is huge. Liken to “Birds of a feather flock together” can also be a positive or negative, Yin&Yang, Timothy Ross in Santa Barbara, CA
We are doing well, Timothy. Thank you for asking. Kentucky is a lovely state. Maybe you can visit sometime. I had not thought about the misery loves company application to chemical dependency, but you are right. You can find more about “Birds of a feather flock together” at https://dianaderringer.com/birds-of-a-feather-flock-together/.
Blessings.
May we all help lift one another up when the situation calls for such encouragement. Let us focus on the positive side of empathy.
Thanks, Diana!
I agree, Martha. We all need to lift up one another. Thank you for your encouragement. Blessings.
Sharing compassion with others blesses everyone. 🙂 Even people who live for the drama need compassion.
Excellent points, Melissa. Thank you especially for that last statement. Blessings.
I thik we all crave understanding when we’re miserable. I try my best not to bring others down by inviting them to a “pity party.” Misery can grow exponentially when shared with others. When others are miserable, I try to be a good listener but strive not to contribute to the growth of misery. Sometimes I succeed in this endeaver–at other times we “enjoy” a little misery together until we agree to move on. Thanks for this message to help encourage me to continue to strive for the “listener” goal, rather than the “let’s all be miserable together” alterative. Wishing you a great day, Diana!
I love your “listener” goal, a great one for all of us. When I have an occasional “pity party,” I will try to remember this. Blessings on your writing and outreach to others, Katherine.
Have always tried to equate this to the importance of fellowship, and maybe it is, but there’s some who wants to drag others into their pit of despair and unhappiness with them. It’s hard to remain positive around so much negative, but that’s what God wants us to be, isn’t it. We must be sympathetic more than empathetic, and we must be compassionate enough to encourage them to lift themselves out of that pit rather than drag us into it. Another great turn of a phrase ma’am.
Thank you, J.D. We definitely want to encourage, lift up, and share the positive difference God makes in our lives. Blessings on you and Ms. Diane.