Sehnsucht (German pronunciation: [ˈzeːnˌzʊxt]) is a German word that means "longing," "desire," "yearning," or "craving." Some psychologists use the term to describe thoughts and feelings about parts of life that are not complete or perfect, along with a wish for better or more perfect experiences.

Etymology and language change

In the German dictionary, the word "Sehnsucht" in Middle High German is connected to "Siechtum." Originally, "Siechtum" referred to a weakening disease. Over time, it came to mean a strong, painful longing for something that seems impossible to achieve or is uncertain and far away.

The word "Sehnsucht" is used in other languages as a Germanism. Because its meaning is hard to define, it is difficult to find exact similar terms. In Portuguese, a similar but not exactly the same word is "saudade."

Sehnsuchtin mythology

In Greek mythology, the Erotes are gods associated with love and longing, often found with Eros and Aphrodite.

A well-known story about the feeling of Sehnsucht, which means a deep longing or yearning, comes from Plato’s Symposium. In this story, the comic playwright Aristophanes shares a myth about humans who once had round, two-headed bodies, four arms, four legs, and two heads. These early humans were very proud and tried to reach the heavens to live with the gods. As punishment, Zeus split each person in half, creating humans with two arms, two legs, and one head. Today’s humans are the result of this division. Because they are no longer whole, they feel a strong desire to find their missing half. This longing for the original unity is expressed through love and the wish to reunite with the other half, forming a complete, two-headed, four-armed, and four-legged being. This deep longing, caused by the original division of humans by Zeus, is called Sehnsucht.

In psychology

Psychologists have studied the concept of Sehnsucht to understand its main features. These six characteristics include:

• dreams about perfect future development;
• a feeling that life is not complete or perfect;
• thinking about the past, present, and future at the same time;
• mixed emotions, such as sadness and hope;
• thinking about and judging one’s own life; and
• ideas that are rich in meaning and symbols.

A study compared how people in Germany and the United States understand Sehnsucht. Researchers asked groups of American and German participants to list their two most important life longings and to rate their happiness and health. Both groups had similar abilities to identify longings and felt similar levels of Sehnsucht. However, German participants linked Sehnsucht more to unreachable dreams, while American participants saw it as less important in daily life.

Some researchers believe Sehnsucht helps people manage their lives. By imagining large, possibly impossible goals, individuals may create direction by setting smaller, achievable goals, or "stepping stones," that help them move toward their ideal self. Sehnsucht can also help people plan their lives, deal with loss, and manage unattainable wishes by imagining them. It may also help control emotions and behaviors.

In a study testing whether Sehnsucht influences personal growth, 81 participants were asked to list their most important personal goals and life longings. They also rated how these goals and longings affected their thinking, feelings, and actions. Results showed that goals were seen as more connected to daily activities and easier to control. Sehnsucht, however, was linked more to the past and future, making it harder to manage emotionally and developmentally.

In a 2009 study, 168 middle-aged women without children were asked to rate how strongly and how possible they felt about wanting children. If their wish was strong and long-lasting, it was called a life longing. If their wish was strong but possible, it was called a goal. The study found that pursuing a life longing for children improved well-being only when women had a lot of control over their longing and when other strategies, like adjusting goals, did not work.

In popular culture

"Sehnsucht" is a poem by Friedrich Schiller that inspired composers such as Franz Schubert and Siegfried Wagner. Goethe's poem "Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt" was set to music by several composers, including Ludwig van Beethoven.

Longing, especially for an unknown happiness, is a main theme in many books by C. S. Lewis, such as his autobiography Surprised by Joy (1955).

Richard Strauss composed a musical version of Detlev von Liliencron's poem "Sehnsucht" in 1896 (Opus 32, number 2).

The word "Sehnsucht" appears in the titles of two songs by the band Einstürzende Neubauten: Sehnsucht (1981), from the album Kollaps, and Sehnsucht – Zitternd (1985), from the album Halber Mensch.

Sehnsucht (1997) is the title of the second album and its lead song by the German metal band Rammstein.

Sehnsucht (2005) is the title of a piano piece by Jack Gibbons, included on his album Fantaisie.

Sehnsucht (2009) is the title of an album by the German gothic metal band Lacrimosa.

In 2011, film director Badran Roy Badran used the concept of Sehnsucht in his movie A Play Entitled Sehnsucht.