Sonder

Origin

Coined in 2012 by John Koenig, whose project, The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, aims to come up with new words for emotions that currently lack words.

Maggie Powers, "Searching for a word in Kenmore", The Heights (Boston College), Volume 95, Number 44, 13 November 2014, page B7

"sonder", The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Related to German sonder ("special") and French sonder ("to probe").

"sonder", The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows Official Facebook

Full definition of sonder

Noun

1. (neologism) The profound feeling of realizing that everyone, including strangers passed in the street, has a life as complex as one's own, which they are constantly living despite one's personal lack of awareness of it.
• 2012, John Buysse, "On 2nd thought, we do have linked lives", The Daily Illini (University of Illinois), Volume 142, Issue 68, 5 December 2012, page 4A:I had a sonder, a realization that the random girl sitting next to me inside of Starbucks might have a fantastic life or she might be dealing with a very ill family member.
• 2013, Annie Cohen, "A Deeper Understanding", Panorama (Ladue Horton Watkins High School, St. Louis, Missouri), Volume 62, Issue 3, 14 October 2013, page 14:We need to have a "sonder" moment, where we realize that we aren't the only ones with feelings, dreams, regrets and hopes.
• 2015, Emily Neiman, Sonder: Clara's Story, iUniverse (2015), ISBN 9781491760048, unnumbered page:I knew the feeling of sonder my whole life. ... Every time I stopped what I was doing and just watched people, this feeling of breathlessness would wash over me.