Schadenfreude Meaning: Feeling good about other people's misfortune and social comparison
- Schadenfreude is a German word that combines ‘Schaden’ and ‘Freude’ and means the secret pleasure one feels from the misfortune of others.
- Social comparison, jealousy, and a sense of justice that compare oneself to others are the main factors that foster this emotion.
- It's an emotion that anyone can feel, but recognizing it and practicing empathizing with it will protect your relationship.
Contents
Schadenfreude refers to a feeling of secret joy or exhilaration upon seeing other people's misfortune or failure. It is a combination of the German words 'Schaden', which means damage, and 'Freude', which means joy, and is very similar to the feeling of 'I am sorry' in Korean.
If you have ever felt a little laughter on the inside while comforting a friend who was showing off on the outside when they failed a test, this is the feeling. This is a topic that frequently appears in introductory psychology assignments and reading reviews, so I organized its meaning and causes.
Why does schadenfreude occur?
The basis of this emotion is social comparison. When people evaluate themselves, they tend to compare themselves to others, which American psychologist Leon Festinger summarized in 1954 as social comparison theory. When someone who seemed better than me falls, I feel less shabby in comparison, which gives me a strange sense of relief. Also, it is explained that the more someone you feel jealous of, and the more the misfortune they have received seems to be 'earned by themselves,' the greater this feeling becomes.
So, schadenfreude is not simply a bad feeling, but a complex feeling that combines the desire to protect one's self-esteem and the expectation of fairness.
What does 『The Psychology of Sadness』 say?
American psychologist Richard H. Smith analyzed this emotion from various angles in 『The Psychology of Joy』 (original title The Joy of Pain). He believed that the feeling of shame becomes stronger when we want to feel superior, when we feel that the other person deserves punishment, and when the person we are jealous of falls. The same context explains why people react strongly to news of a sports rival's loss or a celebrity's fall.
The fact that this emotion is a process of trying to reduce discomfort in our mind is based on social psychology such as cognitive dissonance theory You can think about it along with the theory. This is because both are related to people's motivation to feel good about themselves.
하루 중 집중이 잘 되는 시간에 어려운 과제를 하니까 효율이 좋더라고요. 일주일 일정을 한눈에 보이게 적어 두는 것도 한번 챙겨보면 좋을 것 같아요.
How is jealousy different from sympathy?
Jealousy is the pain you feel when you see what someone else has, and schadenfreude is the joy you feel when you see what that person loses. So the two often hang out together. Sympathy, on the other hand, is a feeling that shares the pain of others, so it goes in the opposite direction. What's interesting is that you can feel sympathy and pity for the same person at the same time. This is a case where you have a dual appearance where you feel sad on the outside but feel joy on one side of your heart.
Knowing this difference allows me to look more honestly at my feelings and explain to myself why I feel that way.
How should I deal with this feeling?
Schadenfreude is a natural emotion that everyone can feel, so there is no need to force yourself to deny it. However, if this emotion leads to actions such as ridicule or malicious comments, it hurts others and destroys trust in the community. Once you notice your feelings, ask yourself, ‘Why am I comparing myself to this person?’ Changing the object of comparison from others to yesterday's me and practicing thinking about the other person's position is the path to empathy.
How to write a reading review and reference materials
It is natural to write your review in the following order: meaning of schadenfreude → reasons for it (social comparison, jealousy, sense of justice) → impressive examples from the book → experiences I felt → my resolution to deal with emotions. When quoting a book, include the page number. Based on Richard Smith's 『The Psychology of Sympathy』, summarizes the pleasure behind social comparison, jealousy, and sympathy in 4 pages. href="https://campusdown.com/product/%EC%8C%A4%ED%86%B5%EC%9D%98%EC%8B%AC%EB%A6%AC%ED%95%99%EC%9D%84%ED%86%B5% ED%95%B4%EC%82%B4%ED%8E%B4%EB%B3%B8%ED%83%80%EC%9D%B8%EC%9D%98%EA%B3%A0%ED%86%B5%EC%95%9E%EC%97%90%EC%84%9C%EB %8A%90%EB%81%BC%EB%8A%94%EB%8F%99%EC%A0%95%EC%8B%AC%EC%9D%B4%EB%A9%B4%EC%9D%98%EC%A6%90%EA%B1%B0%EC%9B%80:%EC% 82%AC%ED%9A%8C%EC%A0%81%EB%B9%84%EA%B5%90%EC%99%80%EC%83%A4%EB%8D%B4%ED%94%84%EB%A1%9C%EC%9D%B4%EB%8D%B0-26006" rel="noopener">Campus Down's psychological analysis material can help those preparing for an introductory psychology reading assignment to grasp the core of the book and the flow of appreciation.
Related wiki: Self-fulfilling prophecy
Related wiki: Effect of false consensus
FAQ
What does schadenfreude mean?
It is a German word that combines the words harm and joy, and refers to the secret pleasure one feels from someone else's misfortune or failure.
Why does schadenfreude occur?
The main causes are social comparison, jealousy, and a sense of justice that the other person deserves to be punished.
Who wrote 『The Psychology of Sadness』?
It was written by American psychologist Richard H. Smith, and the original title is The Joy of Pain.
If I feel this way, am I a bad person?
No. It's a universal emotion that everyone feels. However, it is important to handle it so that it does not lead to actions such as ridicule or malicious comments.