Why does another person’s misfortune sometimes feel strangely satisfying?
Why does another person’s misfortune sometimes feel strangely satisfying? schadenfreude How schadenfreude exposes our insecurities, values, and social wiring Big Picture Box That tiny jolt of satisfaction you sometimes feel at another person’s misfortune has a name: schadenfreude , a German word that literally means “harm-joy.” It can feel unsettling— What kind of person am I to feel this? —but the feeling itself is common and deeply wired into how humans compare, compete, and protect their sense of self. In this post, we’ll unpack why another person’s misfortune can feel satisfying, what that says (and doesn’t say) about you, and how to turn that awkward spark into self-awareness. Along the way, we’ll look at status, fairness, and even a touch of brain science—and how understanding schadenfreude can actually make you more compassionate, not less. What is schadenfreude, really? Schadenfreude, a German word that literally means “harm-joy,” is the oddly satisfying feeling you...