Book excerpt: Most of us have bouts of unexplained sadness. Just because we feel sad doesn't mean something is wrong. It may be a time to reassess our goals, to have some down time. It may signal a time of transition, a shift in our identity. The Uses of Sadness helps us understand the nuances of sadness, and how it differs from depression. Sadness helps us access a deeper part of ourselves. As we then become a little bigger, wiser and more compassionate than we were, our lives are enriched and we in turn enrich the lives of others.