<p>Americans don't even have a word for the pleasure we derive from the misfortune of others, especially people we resent or otherwise identify as hypocrites. Luckily, the Germans are a more candid culture, not afraid to point out this opposite of altruism: “schadenfreude.” It just shows how reluctant people are to recognize their internal motivations, which is why self-awareness is such a rare thing, no one wants to think other people have to fail for themselves to be happy but, in reality, that's half the satisfaction we get from life.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We build our own self-worth on the backs of those who have failed; without schadenfreude, how could we possibly overcome the resentment we feel towards those standing on our backs? “He has a big house and is better looking but my house and hair are a lot better than my neighbor's.” In the past, our religious teachings told us to beware such feelings, probably because it leads to societal destabilization, but now there's no bounds, only a growing Grievance industry, and their solution is to make everyone fail; equal schadenfreude for all.</p>
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