On Thursday September 28th, the President of our chapter Miriam shared with us her presentation entitled “ Schadenfreud” 

I have to admit when I saw the title of her presentation I was very curious what this was all about.

So, Miriam shared that Schadenfreud is “ the unattractive human tendency to take pleasure in the misery of others “ 

Now the opposite of this is called “ Freudenfreud” . Which is the enjoyment of another’s success. A feeling of happiness for and enjoyment in the success of others. 

Some examples of Schadenfreud; a bad guy may be hit by a bus and you may think “ they had it coming “ Or maybe you are watching figure skating and one of your least favorites falls down, and you find yourself laughing and enjoying that. Schadenfreud may have at its roots some jealousy. It may also be because you caused the misfortune, or maybe you made a hurtful remark that made others laugh. This type of behavior may even border on bullying. 

Whereas Freudenfreud cultivates positive empathy for others, and the ability to experience someone else’s positive emotions. It helps to propel kind acts and helping others. It can even foster resilience.  It can even help improve your own life satisfaction. 

But, Freudenfreud doesn’t come easily, especially if you were raised to equate winning with self worth.  You may see someone else’s victory as your own personal shortcoming. Your own mental health may even get in the way of you being able to participate in someone else’s joy. 

So, how do we practice Freudenfreud? 

Try asking questions about another person’s joy. Ask them to describe their experience. Maintain eye contact and listen attentively. Remember happiness can flourish when you make a heartfelt effort to engage in a positive activity. 

View another’s success as a communal effort. Remember no one gets to the top alone. It can be especially moving when someone else succeeds. It lifts us all up.

Remember we don’t have to wait for joy, we can actively seek it out. It doesn’t mean you’ll never cheer against a villain again, but being able to reach for happiness is beneficial. Celebrating our friend’s successes will help us all triumph!