Have you ever stifled a laugh when you witnessed someone do something embarrassing? Although it feels a bit wrong to do that, it can’t be helped sometimes. It is called schadenfreude—the feeling of pleasure from others’ sufferings. It is a German word that literally translates to “Harm-Joy”, the opposite of empathy. Empathy is a trait humans possess that allows humans to sense and sympathize with the emotional states of other people.
Laughing at other’s misfortunes. Is it normal?
In a recent study done by professors at Princeton University, they investigated the relationship between schadenfreude and envy. They came up with three conditions that predict schadenfreude: “(1) when the misfortune benefits the observer, (2) when the misfortune seems deserved, and (3) when the misfortune befalls on an envied target.” They proposed that envied targets are the greatest victims of schadenfreude as people feel better about themselves after witnessing someone enviable fail. Their classification of enviable targets consists of the rich and people of high status.
To test this claim, the researchers presented the subjects with photographs associated with different stereotypes, such as rich professionals, drug addicts, and the elderly. Participants were asked how those images made them feel. Obviously, the subjects did not want to reveal their envy; therefore, researchers used an electromyogram to record electrical activity of facial movements when the subject smiled, capturing the “malicious glee” of the subjects’ responses to negative happenings of the envied targets.
Interestingly, the proposed phenomenon is not pathological, but a normal human response. Thrown in competitive environments in school and work places, it is difficult not to be envious of others of higher status. While wanting to achieve a greater standing, one may have become preoccupied with bringing other people down instead of improving themselves. Furthermore, the indifferent attitude may causes discrimination and conflicts within societies. Therefore, we need to be careful not to take things too far the next time we have an urge to laugh at someone else’s misfortune.
Reference:
Their pain, our pleasure: stereotype content and schadenfreude
by Cherry Lo
