Dr. Martin Hash Podcast

Americans don't even have a word for the pleasure we derive from the misfortune of others, especially people we resent or otherwise identify as hypocrites. Luckily, the Germans are a more candid culture, not afraid to point out this opposite of altruism: “schadenfreude.” It just shows how reluctant people are to recognize their internal motivations, which is why self-awareness is such a rare thing, no one wants to think other people have to fail for themselves to be happy but, in reality, that's half the satisfaction we get from life.

We build our own self-worth on the backs of those who have failed; without schadenfreude, how could we possibly overcome the resentment we feel towards those standing on our backs? “He has a big house and is better looking but my house and hair are a lot better than my neighbor's.” In the past, our religious teachings told us to beware such feelings, probably because it leads to societal destabilization, but now there's no bounds, only a growing Grievance industry, and their solution is to make everyone fail; equal schadenfreude for all.