Exactly the kind of schadenfreude the article talks about.
Add to your list:
Your processor pulled your account
Your partners talk smack behind your back
You got fired from your job with one of the big programs
You got divorced
Your partnership fell apart
etc etc
According to the article, evolutionary psychologists say that schadenfreude is "natural." But it does not make it right.
I mean, judging from how prevalent incest is in non-human species, one can make the argument that incest is "natural"--but most people would agree its wrong.
So strong are our cultural reactions to schadenfreude that human beings have major religious and cultural practices that choose to minimize or eliminate schadenfreude completely:
Western notions: "Don't speak ill of the dead" "Arrogance comes before the fall" "Envy is a Sin"
Eastern notions: "Karma" "The highest must bow to the lowest [Tao]" The Buddhist notion of "Sharing Others' Joy"
These cultural proscriptions come for a reason. If left unchecked, schadenfreude produces extremely fragmented societies.
Quote:
Originally posted by fiveyes
hehe-
I not only hear your stats suck this past month, but iBill just screwed you for thousands of dollars, you're getting image sourced, hit botted and hot linked (all by the same site, which appears to be in either Romania or Canada), rackshack is your ISP, your 2257 forms are in your ex-wife's hands, Google has just banned all your sites, the Hun has blackballed you for no apparent reason, APIC just served papers on you, someone sent out a half million Kiddie Porn spams with your referer code, you got your GFY t-shirt finally but it doesn't fit AND The Jenny Jones make-over crew is waiting on your corner to ambush-interview you.
This gives me wood...
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