You can confess, because it's completely natural: you've already given that little smile when you saw (or heard) that someone got hurt. We know that yes, there is no point in making a negative movement with your head.
Maybe it's not even someone you don't like. It could be a friend who slips when the floor is wet, for example.
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This feeling has a name: “Schadenfreude”. This is a German word that combines two terms: schaden (damage) and freude (joy). Literally, it means "joy over harm".
A lot of people say that such a little joy with the misfortune of others is something that is frowned upon, as if you were a Disney villain. But calm down! It's not like that.
That little delight with the “failure“ alien is older than moving forward. And people have been arguing about this for a long time.
(Image: publicity)
You know who used to talk a lot about “Schadenfreude”? René Descartes, French philosopher of the 17th century.
For him, it is a feeling that can indicate an impetus for justice. After all, seeing a “bad” person getting hurt gives that feeling of “duty fulfilled”, you know?
The famous “karma”, sung by Taylor Swift years later on a track on his most recent album, “Midnights”.
Pop tips aside, social networks can influence, in a way, to have that feeling. This is due to the inevitable comparison that platforms favor.
On social networks, this feeling is a little more pronounced because we live comparing ourselves to the other people in our feed. Therefore, the misfortune of others makes us feel a little superior.
The greatest weapon against "Schadenfreude" is the empathy. Trying to put yourself in the other's shoes when misfortune happens can help you understand how the person got there in the first place.
But, don't worry, this feeling is normal. And we are human beings, three-dimensional and complex. Giving that giggle when you see someone falling is not as reprehensible as they say. But, it's still something we should avoid.
Graduated in Social Communication at the Federal University of Goiás. Passionate about digital media, pop culture, technology, politics and psychoanalysis.
