Schadenfreude

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Schadenfreude (ˈʃaːdənˌfʁɔʏ̯də ) is a German word meaning 'pleasure from misfortune'. It has been borrowed by the English language and is sometimes also used as a loanword by other languages.

Etymology and translation

The term derives from Schaden (damage, harm) and Freude (joy); Schaden derives from the Middle High German schade, from the Old High German scado, and freude comes from the Middle High German vreude, from the Old High German frewida, from frō, (happy). In German, the word always carries a negative connotation. A distinction exists between "secret schadenfreude" (a private feeling) and "open schadenfreude" (Hohn, a German word roughly translated as "scorn") which is outright public derision. Usually, it is stated that Schadenfreude has no direct English equivalent. For example, Harper Collins German-English Dictionary translates schadenfreude as "malicious glee or gloating." However, an apparent English equivalent is epicaricacy, derived from the Greek word ἐπιχαιρεκακία, epichaerecacia. This word does not appear in most modern dictionaries, but does appear in Nathaniel Bailey's Universal Etymological English Dictionary (1727) under a slightly different spelling (epicharikaky), which gives its etymology as a compound of epi (upon), chara (joy), and kakon (evil). The word does not appear, in either spelling, in the Oxford English Dictionary.

A more common English equivalent than 'epicaricacy' might be the expression 'Roman holiday', which means pleasure derived from watching someone else's suffering, and is derived from the delight of Roman citizens' at the gladiatorial spectacles in the Colosseum. Another phrase with a meaning similar to Schadenfreude is "morose delectation" ("delectatio morosa" in Latin), meaning "the habit of dwelling with enjoyment on evil thoughts". The medieval church taught morose delectation is a sin. French writer Pierre Klossowski (1905-2001) maintained that the appeal of sadism is morose delectation.

In English, the word sometimes is capitalized, because of the German spelling convention of capitalizing all common nouns in addition to proper nouns; however, as a loanword in English, it is typically left uncapitalized, following the rules of English orthography. The adjective version is schadenfroh, though often anglicized to schadenfreudy. The Buddhist concept of mudita, "sympathetic joy" or "happiness in another's good fortune," is cited as an example of the opposite of schadenfreude.

Expressions and the term in other languages

Neid zu fühlen ist menschlich, Schadenfreude zu genießen teuflisch: "To feel envy is human, to savour schadenfreude is devilish." (Arthur Schopenhauer)

Schadenfreude ist die schönste Freude.: "Schadenfreude is the best form of joy." Often used ironically to criticize somebody's display of schadenfreude.
Lachen heißt: schadenfroh sein, aber mit gutem Gewissen: "Humour is just Schadenfreude with a clear conscience." (Nietzsche)
Dutch: Geen schoner vermaak dan leedvermaak: "No entertainment more beautiful than enjoying someone else's suffering." (Proverb, often used ironically).
The French proverb: Le malheur des uns fait le bonheur des autres: "One person's misfortune is another's happiness". However, the equivalence here is inexact, as the proverb really means that only that one person would benefit from another's misfortune, not actually find pleasure in misfortune for its own sake. A better expression would be "Se réjouir du malheur d'autrui" ("to gloat").

Similar terms in other languages:

Albanian: inat (inat or inad, spite, ill will, resentment at others' fortune, pleasure from others' misfortune)
Arabic: shamaatah شماتة (shamtan, taking pleasure in the misfortune of others)
Bulgarian: злорадство (зло, evil or harm, радост, joy)
Chinese: (幸 enjoy[ing]; 災 [other's] calamity; 樂 be happy for/laugh at; 禍 [other's] misfortune/suffering)
Czech: škodolibost (škoda, damage, harm, or loss, libost, pleasure)
Danish and Norwegian: skadefryd (skade, damage, injury or harm, fryd, glee)
Dutch: leedvermaak (leed, suffering or sorrow, and vermaak, entertainment)
Esperanto: malica ĝojo (malica, wicked, and ĝojo, joy)
Estonian: kahjurõõm (kahju, damage or harm and rõõm, joy)
Finnish: vahingonilo (vahinko, accident or damage, ilo, joy or happiness)
Greek: χαιρεκακία (χαρά, joy or delight and κακία, spite or ill will)
Hebrew: שמחה) : שמחה לאיד, joy, איד, misfortune, based on Proverbs 17:5) (simcha la'ed), also: " מתכבד בקלון חבירו " (see Mishneh Torah, the laws of Teshuvah chap. 4:4).
Hungarian: káröröm (kár, loss or damage, öröm, joy)
Lithuanian: piktdžiuga (piktas angry, džiaugsmas joy)
Macedonian: злорадост (зло, evil or harm, радост, joy)
Norwegian: skadefryd (skade, damage, fryd, joy or happiness)
Russian: злорадство (зло, evil or harm, радость, joy)
Scots Gaelic: aighear millteach (aighear, delight or joy, millteach, malicious or destructive)
Serbian and Croatian: злурадост/zluradost (zlo, evil, radost, joy)
Slovak: škodoradosť (škoda, damage, harm, or loss, radosť, joy)
Slovenian: škodoželjnost (škoda, damage, harm, or loss, želeti, to wish)
Swedish: skadeglädje (skada, damage, glädje, joy or happiness)
Ukrainian: zlovtiha (zlo, evil or harm, vtiha, joy or happiness)

In Swedish and Norwegian, there is also the saying: skadeglädjen/skadefryd är den enda sanna glädjen/fryd ("schadenfreude is the only true joy").In Denmark The saying goes "Der er ingen fryd som skadefryd." ("There is no glee like schadenfreude.") A Finnish variant is: vahingonilo on aidointa iloa, sillä siihen ei sisälly tippaakaan kateutta ("schadenfreude is the most genuine kind of joy, since it doesn't include even a drop of envy"). A Slovak variant is: škodoradosť je najväčšia radosť ("schadenfreude is the greatest joy"), similar in meaning to the Hungarian variant: legszebb öröm a káröröm, and the Estonian: kahjurõõm on kõige suurem rõõm. In Hebrew the saying is: 'אין שמחה כשמחה לאיד' ("There is no joy like schadenfreude"). In Danish, the saying is: Egen lykke er at foretrække men andres ulykke er dog ikke at foragte, and translates to "(One's) own happiness is to be preferred, but the misfortune of others should not be scorned." In Dutch the saying is: Er is geen beter vermaak dan leedvermaak ("There's no better entertainment than schadenfreude"). The German version reads: Schadenfreude ist die schönste Freude. ("Schadenfreude is the greatest joy.") In Thai, the phrase สมน้ำหน้า, som nam na, can be interpreted as: "You got what you deserved"; "Serves you right"; or "I'm laughing at your bad luck".

In Malay, the phrase padan muka literally means "fits your face" but the more appropriate English translation is: "You got what you deserved"; In Korean, the phrase 고소하다, go so ha da, literally translated means "to smell sesame oil", because in Korea the smell of sesame oil is regarded as very pleasant, this phrase also is used when one is pleased about a particular event. It is especially used when one is pleased about an event involving the misfortune of another. In Chinese, the phrase xìngzāi lèhuò is an old idiom that directly translates to "enjoying (other's) calamity (and) laughing at (other's) misfortune". In Japanese, the phrase 他人の不幸は蜜の味, tanin no fukou wa mitsu no aji, translates literally as "others' misfortunes are the taste of honey".

In Romanian, the phrase: "sa moara si capra vecinului" translates literally as "let the neighbor's goat die too", when you are happy if the same misfortune hapens to others too. Regarding this sybject, a short movie can be watch at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1HPKIlpqOs

In popular culture

In his memoirs, Inside the Third Reich, Albert Speer described Adolf Hitler's sense of humor as almost entirely based upon schadenfreude. Some examples were mean-spirited jokes played on ministers such as Joachim von Ribbentrop, many initiated by Hitler or his friends.
"Schadenfreude" is the title of a song in the 2004 Tony Award-winning musical Avenue Q, sung by characters Gary Coleman and Nicky. The song features the line: "Happiness at the misfortune of others? That is German!"' Schadenfreude is described as both: "Happiness at the misfortune of others" and "People taking pleasure in your pain".
"Schadenfreude" is the title of a Boston Legal episode wherein character Alan Shore (James Spader) uses the term in explaining why some defendants are convicted of an unrelated crime after having engaged in culturally unacceptable or possibly illegal activities.
Schadenfreude is referred to in The West Wing by White House Press Secretary C. J. Cregg (Allison Janney). Cregg notes that after an important member of the White House staff, and a friend of hers, made a big political mistake, Washington insiders will be enjoying schadenfreude. When an assistant asks the definition of the word, Cregg responds "Schadenfreude: taking joy in the suffering of others. You know, the whole rationale behind the House of Representatives."
Schadenfreude is referred to in the Malcolm in the Middle (TV series) episode "High School Play" (2000) by Krelboyne Lloyd (Evan Matthew Cohen). Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) abandons the Krelboynes to play the role of Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream and has forgotten all of his lines. Lloyd comments, "Normally, I would enjoy the schadenfreude, but this is just sad."
Schadenfreude also is referred to in the Simpsons episode "When Flanders Failed." Lisa accuses Homer of feeling schadenfreude when Homer gloats about Ned Flanders being on the verge of bankruptcy. Lisa asks Homer, "Dad, do you know what Schadenfreude is?", to which Homer replies in a sarcastic tone, "No, I do not know what Schadenfreude is. Please tell me because I'm dying to know." Lisa then explains "It's a German word for shameful joy, taking pleasure in the suffering of others." Homer responds with "Oh, come on, Lisa. I'm just glad to see him fall flat on his butt! He's usually all happy and comfortable, and surrounded by loved ones, and it makes me feel...what's the opposite of that shameful joy thing of yours?" "Sour grapes." "Boy, those Germans have a word for everything."
Schadenfreude is referred to in Cantor's Dilemma (ISBN 0-14-014359-9), a 1991 novel by Carl Djerassi, inventor of the combined oral contraceptive pill. The protagonist, Professor I. C. Cantor, has a lengthy discussion with his romantic interest, Ms. Paula Curry, about the word in the context of the joy that competing scientists feel when the other has been publicly discredited. The novel is intended as a semi-realistic account of the politics and ethics behind major scientific discoveries.
Ben Affleck cited schadenfreude as a contributing factor for the scathing critical response to the film Gigli, in which he starred alongside then-fiancée Jennifer Lopez.
In the TV show Two and a Half Men episode "Bad News From the Clinic", Rose refers to her feelings of Schadenfreude and later tries to invent a word -- Glauckenstück -- to mean "feeling deep remorse for having felt Schadenfreude."

The popular legal blog AboveTheLaw.com has used the term "Skaddenfreude" (a portmanteau, combining the term "schadenfreude" with the name of prominent New York-based law firm Skadden Arps) as a label for the events surrounding the largely unanticipated decision by many of the nation's top-tier law firms to raise associate pay in 2007.
In Radio Free Roscoe Travis Strong decides what he's going to use as a Topic and decides to use Schadenfreude, then Ray asks what it is and Travis replies "It's the joy taken out of other people's misfortunes."

In Sabin Willett's novel Present Value, the name of psychiatrist Dr. Schadenfrau is a portmanteau of schadenfreude and frau (German for "woman") -- effectively capturing the characterization of the doctor as a woman who takes private pleasure in hearing about the personal woes of her patients.

In the '90s BBC program Ballykissangel episode "Someone to Watch Over Me", the local school teacher Brendan is referred to as being schadenfreude, when he is pleased that a local school is being shut down due to asbestos, ensuring his employment for at least a few more months.
"Schadenfreude" is the title of a song from the 2006 EP "The Search Party Never Came" by the Boston-area metalcore band Vanna. The most relevant lyrics of this track read "There's no escaping, You haven't the legs to stand on, And I'm so thankful, That I'm not in your place."

In the Starcraft novel Liberty's Crusade, Michael Daniel Liberty refers to the word as one from "Old Earth."

Professional wrestling company Pro Wrestling Guerrilla named one of their shows "Schadenfreude."

Schadenfreude

Etymology and translation

Expressions and the term in other languages

In popular culture

References

See also