Schadenfreude
Schadenfreude is pleasure at another person’s misfortune, especially when that person is seen as undeserving, threatening, or socially superior.
Social comparison theory: A theory that people evaluate themselves partly by comparing their abilities, status, and outcomes with others. Another person’s setback can improve one’s relative standing without changing one’s own circumstances.
Sports rivalry: Competition between teams or athletes whose histories, proximity, or identities intensify mutual opposition. A rival team’s defeat can produce pleasure beyond the ordinary enjoyment of one’s own team winning.
Sadism: Enjoyment of another person’s suffering, often involving a desire to cause or prolong it. Schadenfreude can arise without causing the misfortune; sadism centers on enjoyment of suffering itself.
German language: A West Germanic language spoken primarily in Germany, Austria, and parts of Switzerland and neighboring countries. The borrowed word combines German terms for harm and joy.
Envy: A painful response to another person’s advantage, often involving desire for what they possess. Envy can turn a rival’s loss into relief or satisfaction.
Political polarization: The widening ideological and social distance between political groups. Partisans may welcome setbacks affecting political opponents as well as policies they oppose.
Compersion: Pleasure in another person’s happiness or success. Compersion reverses schadenfreude’s emotional direction, welcoming another person’s good fortune.
Aristotle: An ancient Greek philosopher whose writings shaped Western philosophy, science, and ethics. In the Rhetoric, he analyzes pleasure in the misfortunes of people viewed as rivals.
Deservingness: The judgment that a person merits a particular outcome because of their actions, character, or circumstances. Perceived deservingness helps determine whether misfortune feels satisfying or troubling.
Celebrity culture: Media attention and public fascination centered on famous people’s lives and reputations. A celebrity’s public downfall can attract attention partly through audience schadenfreude.