TikTok users have been left feeling sad after watching viral videos that illustrate the somber meaning of the popular term “sonder,”according to the definition provided by the app.
Similarly to the recent viral fame of “demure”thanks to TikToker Jools Lebron, the word “sonder”is now gaining traction on the platform. Despite its popularity, numerous users report feeling saddened after viewing trending videos that attempt to define its meaning.
As defined by dictionary.com, sonder is the sensation of realizing that every person encountered has a life just as meaningful and genuine as one’s own, in which they play the leading role while others, including oneself, have supporting or less significant parts.
Nevertheless, according to TikTok, the viral word is defined as: “The understanding that there are no central figures in the world and that everyone possesses a multifaceted life, thoughts, crushes, relatives, dreams, and mind just like your own. Essentially, while you may be the protagonist of your own story, you also play a supporting role in someone else’s.”
Numerous viral TikTok videos capture people in the distance, often portraying them as lost or defeated in their own lives, despite having had something to cling onto in the past.
The video by TikToker Jolens, featuring a solitary person on the sidewalk, quickly gained popularity. In the caption, they expressed curiosity about the person’s struggles and reflected, “They were once someone’s precious child.”
@jolens396 I wonder what his troubles are #sonder #viral #sad #trend #trending #fyp #foryoupage #foryou #fy ♬ To be loved is to be changed – ⋆
Despite varying opinions, several viewers expressed their sadness over Jolens’ TikTok, with one viewer even admitting that it caused their heart to break seeing her look so down.
User ‘westarded’ gained widespread attention for posting their sonder video, in which they captured footage of a man standing outside a dilapidated shack.
Numerous viewers expressed their sympathy for the individual in the video, remarking that he was once a child with aspirations and ambitions. One individual even commented, “He has a preferred color, a favored season, and had aspirations for his future career.”
@westarded ♬ To be loved is to be changed – ⋆
The term sonder may currently be gaining popularity on TikTok, but it has previously circulated before. In 2022, the word also received widespread attention, leading many people to get it as a tattoo.
During that period, Matthew Terry, a popular TikToker, shared several sonder tattoo concepts on his account. One of the designs featured three individuals gathered around a post with signs indicating various directions, while the other portrayed an eye with the earth depicted as its pupil through a grid pattern.
@greatvaluematthew Reply to @axierxa Sonder — noun. the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own. #adequateillustrations ♬ Lost Souls – lizok
Despite the popularity of words like sonder and demure on TikTok, there are numerous other viral terms that have become part of users’ everyday vocabulary.
The phrase “bop”gained viral popularity in August, along with the combination of words “Skibidi Ohio Rizz”- causing anyone above Gen Alpha to feel both bewildered and significantly older.
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