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A brief history of melancholy - Courtney Stephens

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TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

If you are a living, breathing human being, chances are you have felt sad at least a few times in your life. But what exactly is melancholy, and what (if anything) should we do about it? Courtney Stephens details our still-evolving understanding of sadness -- and even makes a case for its usefulness.

Medical anthropologist Arthur Kleinman compared:

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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Courtney Stephens
  • Director Sharon Colman Graham
  • Composer Peter Gosling
  • Script Editor Addison Anderson
  • Narrator Addison Anderson

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