About this quote

Admitting your low mood to an indifferent world is often the first step to finding some dark, comforting humor in it. Sometimes we put on a brave face when we actually want to scream or pout. Giving voice to your gloom, even in a flat, deadpan way, strips away the pressure to always seem okay. Why do we force ourselves to smile when a simple, honest complaint feels so much better? It lets you own your current state without pretending.

When to use it

• You sit down at your desk on a rainy Monday morning with fifty unread emails waiting. You turn to your coworker and utter this line to break the ice with dry humor before starting.
• Your study group has been staring at a complex calculus problem for four hours straight. You announce your state of mind to the room to get a much-needed laugh and pause the session.
• After assembling flat-pack furniture for three hours only to realize the last piece is backwards, you look at your partner and sigh. It is the perfect, dramatic way to ask for a coffee break.
• Halfway through a grueling rainy-day run with your training partner, you stop to tie your shoe. You use these words to jokingly explain why you are lagging behind.