Sadness is not a crime. But it plummets a person into an abyss deeper than any crime could reach.
Sadness and despair is a ploy instigated by the self-destructive elements within all of us. Once depressed, a person could do anything.
Fight despair as a blood sworn enemy. Run from it as you would run from death itself.
I think your articles are very good. This one, however, misses the mark. Our current culture has become obsessed with "happiness", "positive thinking", etc. to the point that legitimate sadness IS treated like a crime. People are criticized, dismissed, considered "less than" just because they are sad. It is popular now to be "stoic" at the death of a loved one! We think its so "strong" to never cry, to never feel said. It has become sickening-literally. Sadness, and grief, are part of the human experience. Being allowed to experience it properly created understanding, wisdom, compassion and maturity in human beings. Denying someone's sadness is what leads to despair! Let people be sad-to deny it is to live an absolute lie that makes our souls sick. Torah is full of examples of grief-why do we try to pretend we're somehow above that?
I think the key word he means is despair where the person gives up and is lifeless, whereas when someone is pained but grows from it this is what is meant to be