Laugh At Your Own Risk

Nadja Geipert talks to us about why schadenfreude makes us miserable, and the example of Charlie Sheen is a point of emphasis. http://www.psychologytoday.com/colle...-your-own-risk

Although not mentioned in the article, freudenschade is another word appropriate for this discussion: noun - a feeling of sadness brought on by the good fortune of others. From the German "Schaden" (damage) + "Freude" (joy). The inversion of Schadenfreude.

Geipert postulates:

Many experts will have you believe that jealousy and envy are an inescapable part of life. However ugly and petty it makes us feel, we must all endure it. I disagree. First of all, none of us dreamed of growing up to be petty and jealous adults who like watching other people suffer. I have yet to meet anyone who admits to these feelings with pride. Second, I don't think we should take anything that's a total killjoy lying down. While feelings of jealousy and envy along with their Siamese twin resentment might not actually kill us, they will certainly butcher our joie de vivre.

And last but not least, I feel certain that minimizing feelings of jealousy and envy is not like trying to beat death and taxes: it actually can be done. Call it an occupational hazard, but I believe we should all be cheered on to become who we really want to be. Our time on this planet is shorter than the cosmic blink of an eye; let's try to make the most of it—for the sake of our own happiness and the betterment of the planet.

My take is that Geipert believes we have more than enough to deal with in our own lives than to spend time obsessing about others.

I somehow expected Freudenschade to be more... Freudian! Thanks for this!

Very true what is mentioned at the end-
But i thought there was a good envy as well That's in the jewish views. I like that one. As i understood it is where you like that one is better than you, in all you envy to be like that but instead of hating the other you wish them well and it helps you to better oneself with achieving what is "envied". Ie some one has a great house, your happy they have great fortune and it drives one to achieve the same That's a nice thought and positive perhaps i misunderstood but i like that way and it's less negative than the christian view on envy, which is viewed as hating the other and or wishing thier failure and enjoying their failure. But perhaps i misunderstood again.

But yep, we should mind our own crap i can only wish it wont get worse.

Hoo boy, ain't that the truth!!

Very interesting article .... thanks!