Schadenfreude
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Schadenfreude (IPA: [ˈʃaːdənˌfʁɔʏ̯də] Audio (German) ) is enjoyment taken from the misfortune of someone else. The word has been borrowed from German by the English language[1] and is sometimes also used as a loanword by other languages. German philosopher and sociologist Theodor Adorno defined it as "the largely unanticipated delight in the suffering of another which is cognized as trivial and/or appropriate".[2]
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[edit] Spelling, etymology, and English equivalents
In German, Schadenfreude is always capitalized. However, when used as a loanword in English, it is usually not. The corresponding German adjective is schadenfroh, sometimes anglicized as schadenfreudy.
The word derives from Schaden (damage, harm) and Freude (joy); Schaden derives from the Middle High German schade, from the Old High German scado. Freude comes from the Middle High German vreude, from the Old High German frewida, from frō, (happy). In German, the word always has a negative connotation. A distinction exists between "secret schadenfreude" (a private feeling) and "open schadenfreude" (Hohn, a German word roughly translated as "scorn") which is outright public derision.
Little-used English words synonymous with schadenfreude have been derived from the Greek word ἐπιχαιρεκακία.[3][4] Nathan Bailey's 18th-century Universal Etymological English Dictionary, for example, contains an entry for epicharikaky that gives its etymology as a compound of epi (upon), chaira (joy), and kakon (evil).[5][6] A popular modern collection of rare words, however, gives its spelling as "epicaricacy." [7]
A more common English expression with a similar meaning is 'Roman holiday', a metaphor taken from the poem "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage" by George Gordon, Lord Byron, where a gladiator in Ancient Rome expects to be "butcher'd to make a Roman holiday" while the audience would take pleasure from watching his suffering. The term suggests debauchery and disorder in addition to sadistic enjoyment.[8]
Another phrase with a meaning similar to Schadenfreude is "morose delectation" ("delectatio morosa" in Latin), meaning "the habit of dwelling with enjoyment on evil thoughts".[9] The medieval church taught morose delectation as a sin.[10][11] French writer Pierre Klossowski (1905-2001) maintained that the appeal of sadism is morose delectation.[12][13]
The Buddhist concept of mudita, "sympathetic joy" or "happiness in another's good fortune," is cited as an example of the opposite of schadenfreude.[14][15]
[edit] Literary and philosophical discussion of the emotion of schadenfreude
[edit] Aristotle
In the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle used the term epikhairekakia (alternatively epikairekakia; ἐπιχαιρεκακία in Greek) as part of a triad of terms, in which epikhairekakia stands as the opposite of phthonos, and nemesis occupies the mean. Nemesis is "a painful response to another's undeserved good fortune," while phthonos is "a painful response to any good fortune," deserved or not. The epikhairekakos person actually takes pleasure in another's ill fortune.[16][17]
[edit] Age of Enlightenment
During the 17th century, considered by some to be the earliest part of the Enlightenment era in philosophy, Robert Burton wrote in his work The Anatomy of Melancholy, "Out of these two [the concupiscible and irascible powers] arise those mixed affections and passions of anger, which is a desire of revenge; hatred, which is inveterate anger; zeal, which is offended with him who hurts that he loves; and ἐπιχαιρεκακία, a compound affection of joy and hate, when we rejoice at other men's mischief, and are grieved at their prosperity; pride, self-love, emulation, envy, shame, &c., of which elsewhere."[18]
[edit] Scientific studies of schadenfreude
A New York Times article in 2002 cited a number of scientific studies of schadenfreude, which it defined as "delighting in others' misfortune."[19] Many such studies are based on social comparison theory, the idea that when people around us have bad luck, we look better to ourselves. Some studies have shown that people with low self-esteem are more likely to feel schadenfreude than are people who have high self-esteem.
One recent (2006) experiment suggests that men, but not women, enjoy seeing "bad" people suffer. The study was designed to measure empathy, by watching which brain centers are stimulated when subjects inside an MRI observe someone having a painful experience. Researchers expected that the brain's empathy center would show more stimulation when those seen as "good" got an electric shock than they would if the shock was given to someone the subject had reason to consider bad. This was indeed the result for their female subjects, but for male subjects the brain's pleasure centers also lit up when someone else got a shock that the male thought was well-deserved.[20]
[edit] Variants
[edit] Expressions in other languages
- Chinese, the phrase xìngzāi lèhuò (simplified Chinese: 幸灾乐祸; traditional Chinese: 幸災樂禍) is an old idiom that directly translates to "enjoying (other's) calamity (and) laughing at (other's) misfortune".
- Danish: Egen lykke er at foretrække men andres ulykke er dog ikke at foragte: "(One's) own happiness is to be preferred, but the misfortune of others should not be scorned."
- Danish: Der er ingen fryd som skadefryd: "There is no glee like schadenfreude."
- Dutch: Geen schoner vermaak dan leedvermaak proverb: "No pleasure more beautiful than schadenfreude." (Proverb, often used ironically).
- German: Neid zu fühlen ist menschlich, Schadenfreude zu genießen teuflisch: "To feel envy is human, to savour schadenfreude is devilish." (Arthur Schopenhauer)
- German: Schadenfreude ist die schönste Freude: "Schadenfreude is the best form of joy." Often used ironically to criticize somebody's display of schadenfreude. A modern witticism; the real German proverb from which this derives is "Vorfreude ist die schönste Freude." (Anticipation is the best joy.)
- German: Lachen heißt: schadenfroh sein, aber mit gutem Gewissen: "Humour is just Schadenfreude with a clear conscience." (Nietzsche)
- Estonian: kahjurõõm on kõige suurem rõõm
- Finnish: vahingonilo on aidointa iloa, sillä siihen ei sisälly tippaakaan kateutta: ("schadenfreude is the most genuine kind of joy, since it doesn't include even a drop of envy").
- French: Le malheur des uns fait le bonheur des autres proverb: "One person's misfortune is another's happiness". However, the equivalence here is inexact, as the proverb really means that only that one person would benefit from another's misfortune, not actually find pleasure in misfortune for its own sake. A better expression would be "Se réjouir du malheur d'autrui" ("to gloat")
- Hebrew: אין שמחה כשמחה לאיד: "There is no joy like schadenfreude"
- Hungarian: legszebb öröm a káröröm
- Japanese, the phrase 他人の不幸は蜜の味 (tanin no fukō wa mitsu no aji?), translates literally as "others' misfortunes are the taste of honey."
- Korean: 고소하다 gosohada, literally translated means "to smell sesame oil", because in Korea the smell of sesame oil is regarded as very pleasant, this phrase also is used when one is pleased about a particular event. It is especially used when one is pleased about an event involving the misfortune of another.
- Malay: padan muka means "fits your face" but the more appropriate English translation is: "You got what you deserved";
- Norwegian: skadefryd er den eneste sanne gleden "schadenfreude is the only true joy"
- Romanian: să moară şi capra vecinului "let the neighbour's goat die too", when you are happy if the same misfortune happens to others too.[21]
- Slovak: škodoradosť je najväčšia radosť "schadenfreude is the greatest joy"
- Swedish: skadeglädjen/skadefryd är den enda sanna glädjen/fryd "schadenfreude is the only true joy"
- Thai: สมน้ำหน้า som nam na, can be interpreted as: "You got what you deserved"; "Serves you right"; or "I'm laughing at your bad luck".
[edit] Similar terms in other languages
- Albanian: inat: (inat or inad, spite, ill will, resentment at others' fortune, pleasure from others' misfortune)
- Arabic: شماتة : shamaatah shamtan, taking pleasure in the misfortune of others)
- Bulgarian: злорадство: (зло, evil or harm, радост, joy)
- simplified Chinese: 幸灾乐祸; traditional Chinese: 幸災樂禍 (幸 enjoy[ing]; 災 [other's] calamity; 樂 be happy for/laugh at; 禍 [other's] misfortune/suffering)
- Croatian: злурадост/zluradost: (zlo, evil, radost, joy)
- Czech: škodolibost: (škoda, damage, harm, or loss, libost, pleasure)
- Danish: skadefryd: skadefryd (skade, damage, injury or harm, fryd, glee)
- Dutch: leedvermaak: (leed, suffering or sorrow, and vermaak, entertainment)
- Esperanto: malica ĝojo: (malica, wicked, and ĝojo, joy)
- Estonian: kahjurõõm: (kahju, damage or harm and rõõm, joy)
- Finnish: vahingonilo: (vahinko, accident or damage, ilo, joy or happiness)
- Hebrew: שמחה לאיד:, joy, איד, misfortune, based on Proverbs 17:5) (simcha la'ed), also: " מתכבד בקלון חבירו " (see Mishneh Torah, the laws of Teshuvah chap. 4:4).
- Hungarian: káröröm: (kár, loss or damage, öröm, joy)
- Lithuanian: piktdžiuga: (piktas angry, džiaugsmas joy)
- Macedonian: злорадост: (зло, evil or harm, радост, joy)
- Norwegian: skadefryd: skadefryd (skade, damage, injury or harm, fryd, glee)
- Russian: злорадство: (зло, evil or harm, радость, joy)
- Scottish Gaelic: aighear millteach: (aighear, delight or joy, millteach, malicious or destructive)
- Serbian: злурадост/zluradost: (zlo, evil, radost, joy)
- Slovak: škodoradosť:(škoda, damage, harm, or loss, radosť, joy)
- Slovene: škodoželjnost : (škoda, damage, harm, or loss, želeti, to wish)
- Swedish: skadeglädje: (skada, damage, glädje, joy or happiness)
- Ukrainian: zlovtiha: zlovtiha (zlo, evil or harm, vtiha, joy or happiness)
[edit] In popular culture
- "Schadenfreude" is the title of a song in the 2004 Tony Award-winning musical Avenue Q, sung by characters Gary Coleman and Nicky. The song features the line: "Happiness at the misfortune of others? That is German!"' Schadenfreude is described as both: "Happiness at the misfortune of others" and "People taking pleasure in your pain".
- "Schadenfreude" is the title of a Boston Legal episode wherein character Alan Shore (James Spader) uses the term in explaining why some defendants are convicted of an unrelated crime after having engaged in culturally unacceptable or possibly illegal activities.
- The popular legal blog AboveTheLaw.com has used the term "Skaddenfreude" (a portmanteau, combining the term "schadenfreude" with the name of prominent New York-based law firm Skadden Arps) as a label for the events surrounding the largely unanticipated decision by many of the nation's top-tier law firms to raise associate pay in 2007.
- In The Simpsons episode "When Flanders Failed", Lisa asks Homer if he's ever heard of schadenfreude after he expresses delight that Ned Flanders' business is failing. [1]
- Schadenfreude is referred to in The West Wing by White House Press Secretary C. J. Cregg (Allison Janney). Cregg notes that after an important member of the White House staff, a friend of hers, made a big political mistake, Washington insiders will be enjoying schadenfreude. When an assistant asks the definition of the word, Cregg responds "Schadenfreude: taking joy in the suffering of others. You know, the whole rationale behind the House of Representatives."
- Schadenfreude is referred to in the Malcolm in the Middle (TV series) episode "High School Play" (2000) by Krelboyne Lloyd (Evan Matthew Cohen). Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) abandons the Krelboynes to play the role of Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream and has forgotten all of his lines. Lloyd comments, "Normally, I would enjoy the schadenfreude, but this is just sad."
- Schadenfreude is referred to in Cantor's Dilemma (ISBN 0-14-014359-9), a 1991 novel by Carl Djerassi, inventor of the combined oral contraceptive pill. The protagonist, Professor I. C. Cantor, has a lengthy discussion with his romantic interest, Ms. Paula Curry, about the word in the context of the joy that competing scientists feel when the other has been publicly discredited. The novel is intended as a semi-realistic account of the politics and ethics behind major scientific discoveries.
- Ben Affleck cited schadenfreude as a contributing factor for the scathing critical response to the film Gigli, in which he starred alongside then-fiancée Jennifer Lopez. [2]
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary.
- ^ Cited in Portmann, John (2000). When bad things happen to other people. New York: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-92335-2., p. 186.
- ^ Shipley, Joseph T. (1955). Dictionary of Early English. Philosophical Library. ISBN-13: 978-0806529264.
- ^ Novobatzky, Peter; Shea , Ammon (1955). Depraved and Insulting English. Harvest Books. ISBN-13: 978-0156011495.
- ^ Bailey, Nathan (1737). Universal Etymological English Dictionary.
- ^ Bailey, Nathan (1751). Dictionarium Britannicum.
- ^ Byrne, Josefa H. (1984). Mrs. Byrne's Dictionary of Unusual, Obscure, and Preposterous Words. Pocket. 0671497820.
- ^ http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Roman%20holiday
- ^ definition of morose delectation, Oxford English Dictionary
- ^ Prima Secundae Partis, Q. 74, The Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas, Second and Revised Edition, 1920; Literally translated by Fathers of the English Dominican Province, Online Edition Copyright © 2006 by Kevin Knight.
- ^ Chapter 6 Proposing the Story of the World, Richard John Neuhaus, Catholic Matters: Confusion, Controversy, and the Splendor of Truth, Basic Books, 2006.
- ^ Heterodox Religion and Post-Atheism: Bataille / Klossowski/ Foucault, Jones Irwin, ISSN 1393-614X Minerva - An Internet Journal of Philosophy Vol. 10 2006.
- ^ Klossowski, Pierre. 1991. Sade, My Neighbour, translated by Alphonso Lingis. Illinois. Northwestern University Press.
- ^ The Upside of Shadenfreude, Joshua Zader, Mudita Journal, December 6, 2005.
- ^ Are you Schadenfreude or Mudita?, Sirtumble, One of Six Billion..., February 6, 2005.
- ^ Pedrick, Victoria; Oberhelman, Steven M. (2006). The Soul of Tragedy: Essays on Athenian Drama. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. ISBN-13: 978-0226653068.
- ^ Nicomachean Ethics, 2.7.1108b1-10
- ^ Robert Burton (1621). The Anatomy of Melancholy, pt. 1, sect. 1, memb. 2, subsect. 8.
- ^ http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE3D6153CF937A1575BC0A9649C8B63
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/19/science/19revenge.html?ex=1139547600&en=5cb415405edddd2e&ei=5070l
- ^ Regarding this subject, a short movie can be watched at Video at YouTube
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