SCHADENFREUDE - THE DARKNESS WITHIN

As the most advanced creatures on Earth, human beings are undoubtedly the most complex. We experience a vast range of emotions, many of which we still struggle to fully understand, and it is not uncommon these days to seek help to fully comprehend the entire spectrum of human emotions.

- SUPREET GILL

While we revel in the joys of our own triumphs and those of our loved ones, we also have a tendency to find a perverse satisfaction in the misfortunes of others. The Germans have even given this feeling a name - "schadenfreude." Literally translating to "harm-joy," schadenfreude refers to the feeling of happiness or pleasure derived from witnessing someone else's failure or suffering. It occurs because we often experience a sense of satisfaction when someone else's misfortune makes us feel better about ourselves, particularly if we envy them or perceive them as having an unfair advantage.

This tendency is closely linked to social comparison - our innate desire to evaluate our own worth in relation to those around us. When we see someone else stumble, it can trigger a subconscious boost to our own self-esteem.

Across the great literary and religious traditions of the world, we are surrounded by stories and teachings that extol the virtues of morality, compassion, and the nobler aspects of the human spirit. However, we often shy away from directly addressing the darker, more unsettling elements of our psychological makeup.

Friedrich Nietzsche argued that religious texts that discredit emotions like envy were actually an impediment to human progress, as envy can be one of the most powerful and pervasive driving forces in human life. Arthur Schopenhauer, the German philosopher, somehow tried to rationalize envy by stating that, "To feel envy is human"; but cautioned us against Schadenfreude, stating that it is "diabolic."