Schadenfreude

The other day I was reading the smh blogs during my lunch hour and one word had cropped up a few times had intrigued me.

Schadenfreude

It's a German word for "taking pleasure in someone else's misfortune", I find it rather curious that there is no English equivalent word for this expression.

Why are you talking about Shadenfruede slakbarsted ? I hear you ask ?

Sam de Brito has written a blog entry about heists. He briefly talked about a robbery at the Panthers Leagues Club in 1991.

I remember that robbery. My whole family were ecstatic about Panthers winning the Grand Final that day seeing how we lived locally, I remember people pouring out on the streets throwing paper streams at passing cars cheering and cars tooting wildly at pedestrians to celebrate the win. Everyone seemed happy about the good fortune bestowed on the town... because the football team had tried several times to win a grand final. So Panther supporters were over the moon about the long awaited win..

Well almost everyone was pleased.... I wasn't. I was disappointed that Panther's had won the Grand Final. I was not a Panther's supporter, everyone else in my Family supported the team. I've no idea why I took pleasure in seeing that disappointed look on a Panther's supporter's face. Dunno.. perhaps there is some weird psychological reason for this.

When I heard about the robbery the next day I secretly harboured schadenfreuden feelings at their demise. he he he he..

hence the post about schadenfreuden... I'm currently struggling to recall the correct pronunciation.. it will be a while before I can remember how it is done.