The Flawed Logic of Gratitude: Privilege Doesn’t Protect Against Depression

“Be thankful for what you have. There are countless people in this world struggling for a single meal or a roof over their heads.” How often have you heard this advice? Should we really be content or grateful simply because we have more than others, or does this comparison deepen the despair we may already feel?

Take V.G. Siddhartha Hegde, once celebrated as the face of millennial India’s entrepreneurial spirit. Despite building an empire worth 22,000 crores, he ended his life by drowning in a river. Was it because he couldn’t pay off a 6,000-crore debt? No. The reasons were far more complex.

Or consider Sushant Singh Rajput, a successful Bollywood actor with hit films, fame, and wealth. He was known for his generosity, donating crores to disaster relief efforts. Yet, he too felt so overwhelmed that he ended his own life.

These high-profile cases are not isolated incidents. Many students and young people are making similar choices, even when they have the support and care of their families. Youth are cutting their lives short before facing the full challenges of adulthood, while older, more experienced individuals are doing the same after enduring those challenges head-on. Shouldn’t someone who has seen more of life — or who has wealth and fame — understand that others are struggling just to find clean water or their next meal? So, why do they still consider such a devastating choice, despite their relative privilege?

Perhaps it’s because happiness and depression aren’t tied to what someone else has or doesn’t have. Emotions are not relative; they can’t be measured against someone else’s circumstances. A student with poor grades, a widow grieving a spouse, a couple who has lost a child, or a businessman facing bankruptcy — all of them experience deep and unique sadness. Their burdens can’t be compared.

Happiness isn’t found in what you own or the environment around you. A homeless person might be happy, but that doesn’t mean someone with a home should automatically feel the same way. Our emotions are shaped by the choices we make, the actions we take, and the value we place on things and relationships — not by the mere fact of not being poor. This is the hard truth that too few are willing to acknowledge.

Depression isn’t just another emotion like sadness. It’s a battle between one’s deepest fears and a sense of lost identity. It doesn’t care about fame, money, or talent — it drains the life out of anyone it touches. Everyone’s emotions are different. They aren’t linked to what one possesses but to what one has lost.

Life is a mix of joy and sorrow. It doesn’t stop when you smile, and it doesn’t end when you cry. It’s a cycle, and both happiness and sadness arise from within, shaped by the choices you make, not by your privileges. If it’s okay to smile during the good times, it’s just as valid to cry during the tough ones. You don’t stop living when you’re happy, so why should you stop when you’re sad? A setback is part of life, but quitting shouldn’t be.

If you find someone in your circle feeling sad or depressed, offer them meaningful advice or comfort. Don’t compare their life to others who may be less fortunate. Stop comparing lives — everyone leads their own in their unique way.