Schadenfreude is the experience of joy caused by the misery of others . It is a psychological phenomenon that is often related to the lack of empathy and compassion, with which it is often associated with antisocial personalities. But is it a phenomenon exclusive to them? Why does it manifest itself?

Here are some explanations that social psychology has offered to explain it.

Schadenfreude: satisfaction for the misery of others

The German term “schadenfreude” is used to refer to the feeling of satisfaction, complacency, joy or pleasure caused by the difficulties or humiliations experienced by other people. In other words, it is about gloating over the mishaps that happen to others.

Although it seems to occur only in isolated cases, schadenfreude has been described since Ancient Greece in different ways . For example, the term “epic efficiency” was used to refer to the same feeling of enjoyment in the face of the misfortune of others. In ancient Rome, “malevolence” was used to describe the same feeling.

And in the Middle Ages, Thomas Aquinas thought that schadenfreude was, along with resentment and defamation, one of the perverse emotions derived from envy . In fact, centuries later, this would still be one of the main explanations for schadenfreude, as we will see below.

Why does he show up? Explanations of Social Psychology

Isn’t the misfortune of others supposed to provoke compassion? What generates this feeling of joy that we call schadenfreude? Does it have an adaptive function? Aaron Ben Zeev, a psychologist at the University of Haifa, says that schadenfreude is triggered mainly by the following circumstances :

  • If, according to our judgment, the other one seems to deserve your misfortune.
  • If the damage to the other is relatively slight.
  • If the damage was not caused by our fault .

The above, however, does not eliminate the social expectation of feeling compassion for the misfortune of others. This contradiction between the obligation to feel such emotion, but not being able to avoid feeling joy, generates a significant discomfort. To reduce this discomfort, the person begins by responding morally from compassion, and later justifies the misfortune by principles of justice.

1. The individual satisfaction of justice

This phenomenon is usually explained by the hierarchies in which we relate, since, according to the position we occupy, we tend to evaluate the positions of others , as well as the type of justice they deserve.

Thus, as soon as we suspect that someone is enjoying something they shouldn’t, we are jealous and envious. On the contrary, when that same person is suddenly involved in a complicated situation, the sensation it provokes in us is that of a rebalancing of power.

2. Caused by jealousy?

Traditionally the schadenfreude had been explained by the envy that causes a more privileged position of the others . In other words, this phenomenon would appear especially from a less privileged person to a more privileged one, when the latter has had some misfortune.

What good would the misfortune of the other, who is more privileged, do us? Beyond envy, other explanations suggest that the misfortune of the more privileged other returns an ephemeral image on a balance of power tilted in our favour .

The vulnerability of the other, whom we hardly recognize as vulnerable precisely because of their privileged position, would give us back an image of power over ourselves. It is a reversal of statutes that gives us recognition for principles of justice.

Aaron Ben Zeev himself explains schadenfreude as an emotional phenomenon that, as such, is activated when we perceive significant changes in our personal situation. Such changes will be positive or negative depending on whether they interrupt or improve the situation in accordance with our interests .

In this sense, the schadenfreude would have an adaptive character, since it provokes a significant positive change (it allows us to momentarily reduce our own vulnerability); which in turn helps us to adapt to a constantly changing environment.

3. Theory of superiority and intergroup relations

Another explanation of schadenfreude is based on the theory of superiority, which has also been used to explain some of the functions of humour.

Studies that start from this explanation have linked schadenfreude with a tendency to conformity (specifically in changing opinions towards the tendency of the majority). Likewise has been associated with low self-esteem : people with scores that reveal low self-esteem are more inclined to experimental schadenfreude, probably as a means of reasserting a position of power that they see as being constantly at risk.

In other words, the latter is explained by the phenomenon of self-perceived threat, which is related to the perceptions about the position of power that others have , in comparison with our own. Thus, if circumstances reduce the self-perceived threat, the schadenfreude also tends to decrease.

This has also led to a link between this psychological phenomenon and depression. According to studies on schadenfreude, it often occurs in cases of moderate depression, probably because self-esteem is devalued.

Thus, beyond being a purely psychological phenomenon, schadenfreude has also been explained as an effect of the threat of inferiority , mediated in turn by hierarchical dimensions present in particular inter-group relationships.

Bibliographic references:

  • Degen, F. (2014). The joy in other’s misfortune. Recovered October 12, 2018. Available at https://plus.google.com/101046916407340625977/posts/YRVfS8runXR
  • Feather, N.L. and Sherman, R. (2002). Envy, Resentment, Schadenfreude and Sympathy: Reactions to Deserved and Undeserved Achievement and Subsequent Failure. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 28(7): 953-961.
  • Leach, C.W., Spears, R., Branscombe, NR. and Doosje, B. (2003). Malicious pleasure: schadenfreude at the suffering of another group. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
  • Michalik-Jezowska, M. (2016). About the benefits of pleasure-in-other’s-misfortune. Aaron Ben-Ze’ev’s depiction of emotions as adaptive mechanisms. Studia Humana, 5(3): 53-69.