Schadenfreude: The German Word for Pleasure in Another Person's Misfortune
How often do you feel in this mood? Never? How good!
To take pleasure in another's misfortune. It appears to be a terrible thing, doesn't it? They gave it a German name. Schadenfreude.
Epicaricacy, a Greek word, is another buddy of Schadenfreude. The term is derived from the ancient Greek words "epi" (meaning upon) - "kharis" (meaning gladness) - and "kakos" (meaning joy) (meaning evil).
Even though it may seem negative, don't we all silently and insidiously delight in someone else's misfortune? I'm sure you'd prefer not to answer this question, but there's a part of you that wants to be honest, right?
Let me help you make your decision.
What if a snob but enormously renowned celebrity you despise suddenly had her dress come off and found herself nude in front of all the cameras? I catch you grinning a lot.
What if the person with whom your boyfriend (or girlfriend) cheated on you is fired? You must be relieved, aren't you?
What if your monster boss, is publicly humiliated in a meeting? Isn't that the definition of divine justice?
I think you see the point now.
We can all feel in this mood at times. Human nature, like everything else, has both yin and yang. Of course, it is not usual to have such malicious thoughts all the time, in which case even psychological treatment may be required. We cannot, however, constantly be like Mother Teresa.
Schadenfreude has even inspired a book. Those interested are welcome to have a look.
For the first time in my life, I created a rhyme :)
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