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    Default 'Pleasure taken from someone else's misfortune'

    Many years ago, an ex-girlfriend who had married/divorced a German guy turned me on to , which is a German word meaning 'pleasure taken from someone else's misfortune'.

    "Schadenfreude" derives from Schaden (damage, harm) and Freude (joy) . It has been borrowed by the English language and it is believed to have no direct English equivalent.

    IMHO, we all have experienced schadenfreude at one time or another. There are magazines, TV shows, relationships, etc that depend on it for their very existence.

    Most of the time, I'm ashamed when I catch myself experiencing schadenfreude...

    At other times, it just feels fucking good!
    Last edited by Budai; 07-15-2007 at 08:51 AM.

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    Default Re: Schadenfreude: 'pleasure taken from someone else's misfortune'

    i love this post. and german.

    i most usually take pleasure out of bad people's pain.

  3. #3
    Kaylinn
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    Default Re: Schadenfreude: 'pleasure taken from someone else's misfortune'

    This is a normal, every day part of life.

    You wake up, and turn on Maury or any other talk show, and enjoy watching people talk about whatever terrible story they have on today. You open the newspaper, and read about all the terrible headlines for today.

    You leave for work, and witness a woman trip and fall, and you laugh.
    At work, your co worker accidentially runs into a door and bumps his head. Everyoe laughs.

    Then you come home and turn on Reality TV.

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    Default Re: Schadenfreude: 'pleasure taken from someone else's misfortune'

    I don't. I watch some of the shows, but I am eternally gratefull I'm not in that situation. Reality tv is basically scripted/contrived?. I would perhaps feel that way if I felt the person had it coming, but that's my feeling & doesn't necessarily reflect the truth, & is wrong on my part. What comes to mind it a person in my area, (actually several) that for one thing, makes fun of homeless people, has deliberately walked in front of my car several times. I glad my Dad always taught me, don't ever look down on someone, it's wrong & it might be you someday. Sorry if I sound preachy, I don't mean to, but that's how I feel.


    MANY MEN WANTED TO LAY ME DOWN, BUT FEW WANTED TO LIFT ME UP

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    Default Re: Schadenfreude: 'pleasure taken from someone else's misfortune'

    This is why I enjoy mindless shows like Deal or No Deal. I can't help it but I like to watch the contestants gamble their huge jackpots only to lose it all because they were too greedy.

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    Default Re: Schadenfreude: 'pleasure taken from someone else's misfortune'

    don't get me started on financial schadenfreude ...

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    Default Re: Schadenfreude: 'pleasure taken from someone else's misfortune'

    Quote Originally Posted by Kaylinn View Post
    This is a normal, every day part of life.

    You wake up, and turn on Maury or any other talk show, and enjoy watching people talk about whatever terrible story they have on today. You open the newspaper, and read about all the terrible headlines for today.

    You leave for work, and witness a woman trip and fall, and you laugh.
    At work, your co worker accidentially runs into a door and bumps his head. Everyoe laughs.

    Then you come home and turn on Reality TV.
    Yeah, if you are an asshole.
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  8. #8
    Kaylinn
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    Default Re: Schadenfreude: 'pleasure taken from someone else's misfortune'

    I probably described 90% of american households.

    If Reality TV and Talk shows and gory news stories wasn't popular, they wouldn't be on tv. But Tv is full of thoes kinds of shows. There's a reason for it.

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    cameron_keys
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    Default Re: Schadenfreude: 'pleasure taken from someone else's misfortune'

    Quote Originally Posted by Andygirl View Post
    Yeah, if you are an asshole.
    Nah..I'd say most of middle class America does at least one of these things on most days. Theres a reason reality tv has lingered so long even though most of it is total crap

    ( I confess to hoping the trend stays long enough for me to sell my pilot shooting this fall and I become a bazillionaire ..)

    Come on..you cant honestly say you've never laughed at stupid Real World fights or an annoying drunken co-worker tripping over her stilettos!

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    Default Re: Schadenfreude: 'pleasure taken from someone else's misfortune'

    I don't take pleasure but the classic examples are a guy walking without looking and falling into a uncovered manhole

    Or an amputee getting beaten with his own prosthetic leg.
    http://wcbstv.com/watercooler/local_...195234536.html

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    Default Re: Schadenfreude: 'pleasure taken from someone else's misfortune'

    I always use the word Schadenfreude. It's fun to say and confuses people. Plus it's true, otherwise that shitty Funniest Home Videos would've died in a year like it should have.


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    Default Re: Schadenfreude: 'pleasure taken from someone else's misfortune'

    Quote Originally Posted by cameron_keys View Post
    Nah..I'd say most of middle class America does at least one of these things on most days. Theres a reason reality tv has lingered so long even though most of it is total crap
    Yeah, you might be right. I'm not big on Reality TV, but I will watch the occasional Celebreality show, like tonight's Rock of Love. But that discussion is for another thread.

    Come on..you cant honestly say you've never laughed at stupid Real World fights or an annoying drunken co-worker tripping over her stilettos!
    Eh, I am more of a 'laugh with you' type than a 'laugh at you' type. I have to be, I do too many silly things not to cut others some slack.
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    Default Re: Schadenfreude: 'pleasure taken from someone else's misfortune'

    I like getting paid to experience it. w00t.
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    Default Re: Schadenfreude: 'pleasure taken from someone else's misfortune'

    I really try not to be so insensitive as to laugh at others' misfortune... i think it's fundamentally wrong and Budai, I'm glad you posted this up.

    However, I am not one to confuse "misfortune" with "idiocy." I will certainly laugh at someone's stupidity. It may be unfortunate as well... but it's not my problem.

    (kidding!!!... ok... er not...)

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    Default Re: Schadenfreude: 'pleasure taken from someone else's misfortune'


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    Default Re: Schadenfreude: 'pleasure taken from someone else's misfortune'

    I think it's common human nature, but I admire sympathy and empathy far more, at least when it's warranted. I do admit to finding a bit of perverse pleasure in seeing people who have been very lucky in life, who show no compassion or empathy for others, stumble.

    p.s., also you may refer to me as xschaden.

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    Default Re: Schadenfreude: 'pleasure taken from someone else's misfortune'

    So has any body else seen Avenue Q?




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    Default Re: Schadenfreude: 'pleasure taken from someone else's misfortune'

    ^^ Going to see it next month when it's in San Francisco.


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    Default Re: Schadenfreude: 'pleasure taken from someone else's misfortune'

    Unfortunately, I see enough people who've tried to fuck with me turn around and fuck up their own lives in turn so that I just need to witness the real-life show as it unfolds.

    I don't revel in Schadenfreude, but it's nice to know that it exists sometimes. I'm also a big fan of its sister (distant cousin, perhaps?), Karma.
    "She has written so well, and marvellously well, that I was completely ashamed of myself as a writer...But this girl, who is to my knowledge very unpleasant and we might even say a high-grade bitch, can write rings around all of us who consider ourselves as writers"

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    Default Re: Schadenfreude: 'pleasure taken from someone else's misfortune'

    Quote Originally Posted by NinaDaisy View Post
    I don't revel in Schadenfreude, but it's nice to know that it exists sometimes. I'm also a big fan of its sister (distant cousin, perhaps?), Karma.
    Yep, ND!

    Karma is the sister/cousin that smooths out many wrinkles over the long haul. Thanks for restoring some balance to my perspective...

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    Default Re: Schadenfreude: 'pleasure taken from someone else's misfortune'

    I'm not a believer in the Karma thing in the sense that there is some cosmic book-keeping that takes place. I do however think people are more alike then different, and that we are subconsciously very good at reading each other's body language and subtle queues that we give off about ourselves in everything that we do.

    For me I know I take some perverse pleasure in seeing someone who is merciless, thankless, and/or downright cruel learns their lessons the hard way. Conversely if I pickup that someone is basically compassionate and merciful to others I'm far more inclined to treat them the same way and give them a break when they need it. I guess then you could say that I think that those who revel in shadenfreude can expect others around them to treat them the same way when they are down, and likewise, those who don't will find others around them cutting them slack when they need it most.

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    Default Re: Schadenfreude: 'pleasure taken from someone else's misfortune'

    Depending on the situation, I'd say it's normal. There's a difference between laughing at someone who just got shat on by a seagull and laughing at someone being battered or dying of AIDS. One is healthy schadenfredue, the other is just sociopathic.

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