Phew! I thought it was just me. Mine has a schadenfreude column which I can put whether I think someone deserves to receive a Full (ha-ha!) or Half (ha!) Nelson. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_hold
Thank you Paul for such a clear and illuminating description of envy and Schadenfreude. Very important to be able to think about these feelings more openly to understand ourselves more compassionately.
Thanks, Verity. There are also some interesting cultural differences around schadenfreude that I was tempted to include but the piece was already quite detailed.
In more collectivist cultures, people still have the natural evolutionary urge to compare themselves to others, which can lead to feelings like schadenfreude. But because these cultures emphasize the importance of relationship i.e. keeping the group together and maintaining harmony, people are less likely to express those feelings openly.
Instead, they’re encouraged to be more empathetic and supportive, focusing on the group's overall well-being rather than indulging in individual satisfaction from someone else's bad luck. So, while the feeling might be there, it’s often kept in check by the cultural norms that prioritise community and harmony over individual reactions.
I gather this difference is present in Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Thai culture and also many indigenous cultures.
Indian culture is different again due to Hindu ideas about Karma making schadenfreude more acceptable on one-side and less acceptable on another due to Buddhist ideals around non-attachment to self and cultivating the opposite of schadenfreude called Muditā. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mudita
The cultural differences are quite fascinating around this taboo subject and I’m particularly curious to lean more about Pasifika and Māori perspectives on schadenfreude.
“It's as if our brain is constantly keeping score, and schadenfreude is the reward we feel when the points shift in our favor.”
Wait. Y’all don’t have a literal notebook for this?
Phew! I thought it was just me. Mine has a schadenfreude column which I can put whether I think someone deserves to receive a Full (ha-ha!) or Half (ha!) Nelson. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_hold
Thank you Paul for such a clear and illuminating description of envy and Schadenfreude. Very important to be able to think about these feelings more openly to understand ourselves more compassionately.
Thanks, Verity. There are also some interesting cultural differences around schadenfreude that I was tempted to include but the piece was already quite detailed.
In more collectivist cultures, people still have the natural evolutionary urge to compare themselves to others, which can lead to feelings like schadenfreude. But because these cultures emphasize the importance of relationship i.e. keeping the group together and maintaining harmony, people are less likely to express those feelings openly.
Instead, they’re encouraged to be more empathetic and supportive, focusing on the group's overall well-being rather than indulging in individual satisfaction from someone else's bad luck. So, while the feeling might be there, it’s often kept in check by the cultural norms that prioritise community and harmony over individual reactions.
I gather this difference is present in Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Thai culture and also many indigenous cultures.
Indian culture is different again due to Hindu ideas about Karma making schadenfreude more acceptable on one-side and less acceptable on another due to Buddhist ideals around non-attachment to self and cultivating the opposite of schadenfreude called Muditā. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mudita
The cultural differences are quite fascinating around this taboo subject and I’m particularly curious to lean more about Pasifika and Māori perspectives on schadenfreude.