RD BK DICTIONARY OF OBSCURE SORROWS

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Here are some memorable quotes from The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows by John Koenig:

1. On Sonder

"You are the main character—the protagonist—the star at the center of your own unfolding story. You’re surrounded by your supporting cast: friends and family hanging in your orbit. But there’s always a background—random passersby. Each living a life as vivid and complex as your own."

2. On Zenosyne

"Life is short, and life is long. But not in that order."

3. On Kenopsia

"It’s strange how empty a place can be once it’s no longer yours."

4. On Monachopsis

"It’s hard to explain why you feel out of place, like you belong somewhere else—but you don’t know where."

5. On Opia

"You lock eyes with someone and feel the weight of their gaze—intense, yet impossible to hold."

6. On Altschmerz

"You’re tired in a way that sleep can’t fix—tired of the same problems you’ve been battling for years."

7. On Nodus Tollens

"Sometimes your life makes perfect sense—until, all at once, it doesn’t."

8. On Onism

"You are stuck in just one body, in just one place, at just one time."

9. On Liberosis

"Maybe you don’t want to be in control all the time. Maybe you just want to let things happen and see where they lead."

10. On Chrysalism

"There’s a certain peace in being safe inside while the storm rages on outside."

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Here's a summary of The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows by John Koenig, presented in a table format:

Word	Definition	Emotion Described
Sonder	The realization that each passerby has a life as vivid as your own.	Awareness of others' complex, independent lives.
Kenopsia	The eerie, forlorn atmosphere of a place once bustling with life but now abandoned.	Feeling of emptiness in once lively spaces.
Opia	The ambiguous intensity of looking someone in the eye.	Discomfort and intimacy in eye contact.
Vellichor	The strange wistfulness of used bookstores.	Nostalgia evoked by old books and forgotten stories.
Ambedo	A melancholic trance where you become absorbed in vivid sensory details.	Reflective immersion in sensory experiences.
Monachopsis	The subtle but persistent feeling of being out of place.	Quiet alienation or social misalignment.
Jouska	A hypothetical conversation you play out in your head.	Rehearsing or imagining dialogues mentally.
Chrysalism	The amniotic tranquility of being indoors during a thunderstorm.	Safe, cozy feeling during storms.
Liberosis	The desire to care less about things.	Wishing for emotional detachment or lightness.
Altschmerz	The weariness of dealing with the same old problems.	Fatigue from recurring emotional struggles.
Nodus Tollens	The realization that the plot of your life no longer makes sense.	Crisis of meaning or life direction.
Onism	The awareness of how little of the world you’ll experience.	Frustration at the limits of one's experiences.
Anecdoche	A conversation where everyone is talking but nobody is listening.	Disconnection in social exchanges.
Zenosyne	The feeling that time is moving faster as you age.	Perception of accelerating time.
Mauerbauertraurigkeit	The inexplicable urge to push people away.	Desire for isolation despite social bonds.