Fear or Sadness??

[marshallfever]

Which is a stronger emotion? I'm was pondering this idea because it seems as if most movies and even video games to a certain extent try to use fear because they think its a easier emotion to draw out from a audience or person.

Personally I think the emotion of sadness is a deeper emotion. I'm not sure how exactly go discuss this, but what are your opinions on emotions and how they should be portrayed in movies or even videogames to an extent.

[Blzer]

Re: Fear or Sadness??

Both are signs of weakness in a suit of masculinity, though I would say that sympathy is a form of sadness, because it is a feeling of commiseration due to the happenings of another being. Though at the same time, fear strikes men all of the time as well, but again, not quite in the same way as you may think. We fear things all of the time, normally when making a choice and seeking the consequences of each choice.

I'd say that sadness is a stronger emotion overall, though fear is more common, yet less prevalent.

[Double Eights]

Re: Fear or Sadness??

I think sadness is a deeper emotion.

Fear is usually a quick and sudden emotion, and dissipates quickly. Once the situation you're in is over, usually you aren't afraid any longer. And then, even if the fear remains, it'll tend to go away much quicker than the feeling of sadness. It's also easier to combat fear, whereas sadness usually lasts forever (I don't mean depression, just sadness when thinking about a certain thing).

If I am afraid of my home being broken into, I can purchase a guard dog or a gun. Or if a child is afraid of the monster in the dark, simply turn the light on. Yet, I can't imagine not feeling sadness whenever I think about my dog. There isn't anything I can do to get rid of that sadness (I'm glad I can't).

Edit: Haha, didn't put in the videogame part. in terms of video games...fear is usually better. It's hard to make someone feel "sadness" towards video game characters. Sure you can say "man, that's a terrible situation," but when the game ends, you're not going to sit there crying over what happened. Whereas if you can scare someone in a video game, you can literally make them feel that emotion on the spot, and depending on what happened, you can make them afraid for the rest of the evening. I can see myself being afraid that zombies might pop out of my closet, more so than being sad that the main character died in the game.

[bsb13]

Re: Fear or Sadness??

Sadness is probably the deeper emotion but fear is the most intense. So fear wins out when it comes to video games.

[Cebby]

Re: Fear or Sadness??

Fear is definitely a "stronger" emotion.

Double Eights pretty much nailed why fear beats out sadness in games. There are very, very few games I've felt a real connection with the characters that would be needed for sadness, but creating fear is easy. It's incredibly easy for "sad" moments in video games to come off as unintentionally funny because of lameness.

[marshallfever]

Re: Fear or Sadness??

I definitely think Sadness is a deeper emotion. I wasn't just referring to video games but even movies. Personally, i do think that a movie that can make you tear up or cry has put in more effort than a movie that tries to scary you.

Fear does seem to be the easiest emotion most video games and movies use though. Personally watching the Silent Hill movie, it was null. However knowing that the movie is accurately based on the video game; if the video game played just like the movie, it would be scary as h*ll.

In this case, i hope more game developers try to push that emotional envelope. The only game that did it for me was Lost Odyssey. The first disc in itself was a great disc that tried to push that sadness emotion. Couped with the short stories Hanna's Departure and Letters from a Weakling, i was truly touched.