Why is it wrong to take pleasure in the misfortunes of others?

[Andres]

I agree that feeling happy about the misfortune of others is not "bad" as in "it causes harm to others" (well, assuming you're not laughing in the face of the misfortunate which will make him feel even more miserable).

It's also not always "bad" to laugh at the misfortune of others. Laughing when somebody stumbles and falls in a comical way doesn't make you a bad person who lacks empathy. Sometimes, laughing with your friends' misery may actually be a way to cheer him up, just like laughing with your own misery might sometimes be an excellent way of dealing with it and overcoming it.

However, if you start feeling happiness when you see parents mourn over their child who just died from cancer, you may want to visit a therapist as that doesn't seem very healthy to me