Eigenschauung

Cover image for the Eigenschauung word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Eigenschauung

n.
the degree to which your view of the world is warped by your own presence in it, whether you’re a stunning beauty who assumes all strangers are chatty, a bully who thinks the world is perpetually at war, or a quivering leaf who walks around in an artificial cloud of deference; the awareness that although you’d like to think you perceive things cleanly and objectively, you’ve never felt the vibe of a room that doesn’t happen to have you in it.

German eigen, inherent + Anschauung, view. Compare Weltanschauung, “worldview.” Your Weltanschauung is how you see the world; your Eigenschauung is a reflection of how the world sees you. Pronounced “ahy-guhn-shou-oong.”

Momophobia

Cover image for the Momophobia word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Pax Latrina

Cover image for the Pax Latrina word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Anaphasia

Cover image for the Anaphasia word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Poggled

a person studying a book with a magnifying glass

Wytai

Cover image for the Wytai word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Nullness

Cover image for the Nullness word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Adronitis

Cover image for the Adronitis word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Amuse-Douche

Cover image for the Amuse-Douche word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Ledsome

Cover image for the Ledsome word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Wenbane

a person standing on a ledge looking at a city skyline

Innity

a neatly made bed with diffused light glowing

Lockheartedness

Cover image for the Lockheartedness word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Monachopsis

Cover image for the Monachopsis word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Aftergloom

Cover image for the Aftergloom word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Hailbound

Cover image for the Hailbound word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Scrough

a person working on the sidewalk

Covalent Bond

Cover image for the Covalent Bond word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Mimeomia

a person wearing an animal onesie garment

Foreclearing

Cover image for the Foreclearing word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Nullness

Cover image for the Nullness word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Lookaback

Cover image for the Lookaback word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Zysia

a kite soaring above an empty landscape

Ecury

a close-up of cave drawings and symbols

Wellium

Cover image for the Wellium word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Yeorie

a woman with tendrils of smoke moving across her face

Wildred

Cover image for the Wildred word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Midsummer

a person standing in a garden holding a clock