Wednesday, June 11th, 2008...10:59 am
schadenfreude \SHOD-n-froy-duh\
noun:
A malicious satisfaction obtained from the misfortunes of others.
The historian Peter Gay — who felt Schadenfreude as a Jewish child in Nazi-era Berlin, watching the Germans lose coveted gold medals in the 1936 Olympics — has said that it “can be one of the great joys of life.”
– Edward Rothstein, “Missing the Fun of a Minor Sin”, New York Times, February 5, 2000Schadenfreude comes from the German, from Schaden, “damage” + Freude, “joy.” It is often capitalized, as it is in German.
I suppose this is a kind of joy you feel bad for feeling. Well, maybe just a tiny bit.
Like enjoying Hulk Hogan’s divorce.
Fellow blogger, Rude Cactus, has one every week that he reveals.
Do you have one? or two?
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3 Comments
June 11th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
I mostly hate seeing people in distress. But I do get a twinge of satifaction when I’ve seen soemone driving recklessly or rudely and then they get pulled over.
June 13th, 2008 at 9:46 am
Oh I’m totally guilty of schadenfreude - I laughed my ass off when the Girls Gone Wild guy realized that Spitzer’s hooker, who was getting million dollar offers, was already on tape in their archives and had signed away all her rights for $100. HA!!!!!!!
June 14th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
oh, good ones!!!
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