What’s the point of talking When you are not my words even understanding So I just walk away from myself For I am alien to yourself Are you not understanding Or feigning a lack of understanding Maybe you hate me or envy me But I only love thee When that love is not understood A state of Exulansis, most misunderstood I then do enter Not because I want to be attention’s centre But because you cannot me decipher So here I feel like a mere cipher And drift away forever Your pity, I don’t seek ever My mind is now faraway With you all it can never stay
"Exulansis" refers to the tendency to give up trying to talk about an experience because people are unable to relate to it whether through envy, pity, or simple foreignness–which allows it to drift away from the rest of your life story until the memory itself feels out of place, almost mythical, wandering restlessly in the fog
The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows is a compendium of new words for emotions. Its mission is to shine a light on the fundamental strangeness of being a human being—all the aches, demons, vibes, joys, and urges that are humming in the background of everyday life.
The compiler of the Dictionary is John Koenig a video maker, voice actor, graphic designer, and writer. Born in Idaho and raised in Geneva, Switzerland, he created The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows in 2009, first as a blog before expanding the project to YouTube. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife and daughter.