Schadenfrude, or 'shadow joy' is when we feel happier about our own lives when we hear about how terrible others are. Not really awful, like what is happening in Haiti, but just not as good as our own. It's our sneaky secret.
There are entire websites dedicated to revealing misfortunes to the joy and delight of the internet public. Sites like Fail My Life or My Life is Average, STFU parents and STFU marrieds, Lamebook... They go on and on.
When something reasonably bad happens to someone who is constantly on your case, and you feel great joy at their 'comeuppance' yep, that is schadenfreude. I have my own shadow joy story--involving the workplace, of course. I sent out a mass email to correct a date. Then I get a lovely person who seems nice but on occasion has been rather nasty sending a 'reply all' to my email and snottily informing me that my date was wrong.
Then I got an email recall. HER date was wrong, and she, in her haste to inform everyone how wrong I was, had sent her wrong date to absolutely everyone. HA HA HA. Yes, some may call it Karma, but I call it schadenfreude. Also people were commenting about her, like what date is she looking at?? Silly workplace politics.
Have we become addicted to that feeling? My life isn't so bad, look at so-and-so's? It makes us feel better in a way nothing else can.
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From horses to house-hunting, what you need to know before making the trek to Whitehorse. Unapologetic and uncensored.
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