Amae

Meaning: The comfortable feeling of depending on another's goodwill — leaning into someone's indulgence, as a child does with a parent.

Language: Japanese

Literally: sweet dependency

Category: Social

Origin: Japanese 甘え; theorised by psychiatrist Takeo Doi as core to Japanese psychology.

More untranslatable words — Social

Fremdschämen — The vicarious embarrassment you feel for someone who is doing something cringeworthy — ev…
Drachenfutter — A peace-offering gift brought home to a partner after staying out too late or doing somet…
Nunchi — The subtle art of reading a room — sensing what people feel, what they need, and what is…
Jeong — A deep emotional bond that forms slowly over time through shared experience — the invisib…
Gattara — A woman — often elderly — who dedicates herself to feeding and caring for stray cats in h…
Philotimo — A deep-rooted sense of dignity, generosity, and virtue — doing the right thing out of lov…

Shinrin-yoku — Immersing yourself in the atmosphere of a forest — soaking up its calm through all your s…
Boketto — Staring off into the distance with your mind pleasantly empty, thinking of nothing at all.
Komorebi — The dappled light that filters through leaves and scatters across the ground.
Wabi-sabi — Finding beauty in imperfection, impermanence, and the worn or incomplete.
Tsundoku — Buying books and letting them pile up unread — a habit, not a crime.
Mono no aware — A bittersweet awareness of impermanence — the gentle sadness and appreciation that arise…

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