Sentimental journeys
Some people use 'sentimental' as a warm and fuzzy word, meaning caring and feeling, sensitive, empathetic and sympathetic. Some people use it as a kind of pejoritive: emotionally-based reacting rather than actual thinking, a self-indulgence in the impractical. Whichever, Americans are notoriously sentimental, putting a high value on feelings, almost to the exclusion of any other way of seeing the world: As if it's the best, not just another approach to making the most of our humanity. Other... Sign in to see full entry.