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

[spankythehippo]

It isn't "bad" to feel happiness at the misfortune of others. But it depends on how you define "bad". If you mean morally wrong, then, yes, it is bad. And it also depends on the severity of the misfortune. If someone fell down a flight of stairs in a Three Stooges kind of way, I'd laugh. But if a man lost everything, including loved ones and material possessions, I'd feel indifferent (although the average person would feel bad).

So I don't see what the fuss is all about. Besides, happiness is a personal attribute. You can't give someone happiness. You can do things that will make them happy. If they're happy to see you, then your mere existence is enough to satisfy them.

So why should it matter to others whether someone is experiencing schadenfreude? It's not harming anyone.

EDIT: Take a look at my signature. I find it hilarious (especially when the tail flops down), and yet, the guy could have had a concussion. In this case, I'm laughing at the stupidity of the situation.

[Kralizec]

It isn't "bad" to feel happiness at the misfortune of others. But it depends on how you define "bad". If you mean morally wrong, then, yes, it is bad. And it also depends on the severity of the misfortune. If someone fell down a flight of stairs in a Three Stooges kind of way, I'd laugh. But if a man lost everything, including loved ones and material possessions, I'd feel indifferent (although the average person would feel bad).

So I don't see what the fuss is all about. Besides, happiness is a personal attribute. You can't give someone happiness. You can do things that will make them happy. If they're happy to see you, then your mere existence is enough to satisfy them.

So why should it matter to others whether someone is experiencing schadenfreude? It's not harming anyone.

EDIT: Take a look at my signature. I find it hilarious (especially when the tail flops down), and yet, the guy could have had a concussion. In this case, I'm laughing at the stupidity of the situation.

I've always thought it was odd that there's no English word for "schadenfreude" (or "leedvermaak" in Dutch).

If you have a neighbour who you dislike because he owns a Mercedes and flaunts the fact, you'd probably manage a chuckle when said car gets severely damaged in an accident. Probably not when he is severely injured as a result. A lot of people felt somewhat amused when during the height of the financial crisis many bankers and other financial wizards found themselves without jobs. But when they hear that suicide rates among those professions have risen dramatically, the mood becomes grim. This might be because 1) physical wellbeing isn't directly connected to the reason why said people are disliked, or 2) people generally see health and physical wellbeing as being much more important than material wealth, or 3) both.

On a marginally related note, I'm a moral degenerate who is greatly amused by all sorts of obscene humour*. If you know any good holocaust or dead baby jokes, please PM me. That said, I do realize that if I were jewish or had children of my own, I might not be able to appreciate those catagories. I'm sure however that plenty of jews and/or parents can manage a laugh when confronted with a retard joke. The whole point of those jokes is that they're funny because the subject is obnoxious or morally wrong, and the person who tells it and the person who laughs because of it both realize that the subject is wrong. If it's just a joke, then it's not wrong to be amused.

When would it be wrong to feel happy or amused by anothers suffering? I suppose when you start making exceptions. If you feel sorry for a neighbour, whom you barely know, who has cancer, yet laugh at that other neighbour who drives a Mercedes and just heard he has AIDS, than that'd be wrong. Just saying.

* Except jokes about Frysians. That's racist.

[a completely inoffensive name]

I've always thought it was odd that there's no English word for "schadenfreude" (or "leedvermaak" in Dutch).

There is, it's called "schadenfreude". English just takes words from other languages like that.

[spankythehippo]

There is, it's called "schadenfreude". English just takes words from other languages like that.

This just shows how ignored I am. I mentioned schadenfreude. :(

[Slyspy]

Who said that? Did anyone hear anything?

[Strike For The South]

The Golden Rule

Horetore I remember when used to talk about tangible things, Now you're being smug

[HoreTore]

The Golden Rule

Horetore I remember when used to talk about tangible things, Now you're being smug

Bah! It's much more fun to debate when we're not restricted by our own perspectives. We're still restricted by the perspectives we actually know about, but that tends to be a lot more.

And I'm fascinated by things which we all agree on, but which we at the same time find it very hard to make a proper argument about...

[HoreTore]

This thread needs some examples!

Example 1:
I remember one episode from my footballing days particularly well. We had eliminated another team in a cup by a late scorer from a corner kick. I felt good at the win and the progression. However, the reason I remember it so well is another. After the game, during the hand-shaking, I noticed the kid who had lost the header that lead to the goal was crying. Like a baby. That made the victory taste infinitely sweeter. Wrong?

Example 2:
Kid A and Kid B had an exam. Both expected to get an A, and both expected the other to get an A. They had done so in previous exams. However, Kid A got an A, Kid B got a B. Kid A felt much better abiut this A than the previous A's, because Kid B got a B. Wrong?

Example 3:
Back to HoreTore's footballing days. I played for Mjøndalen, our arch-rivals were Birkebeineren. Whenever we faced them, my main motivation wasn't winning. Nor was it the gloating rights. My main motivation was the fear that if they won, they would feel good about beating us. That they would feel good at my loss inspired my to do my utmost in every game against them. Is it still wrong of them to feel good about my loss when it inspired me to perform better?