Schadenfreude : the joy of another's misfortune /
Watt Smith, Tiffany,
Schadenfreude : the joy of another's misfortune / Tiffany Watt Smith. - First North American edition. - 157 pages ; 19 cm
Originally published in Great Britain by Profile Books, 2018.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 147-154) and index.
We all know the pleasure felt at someone else's misfortune. The Germans named this furtive delight in another's failure schadenfreude (from schaden damage, and freude, joy), and it has perplexed philosophers and psychologists for centuries. Why can it be so satisfying to witness another's distress? And what, if anything, should we do about it? Schadenfreude illuminates this hidden emotion, inviting readers to reflect on its pleasures, and how we use other people's miseries to feel better about ourselves. Written in an exploratory, evocative form, it weaves examples from literature, philosophy, film, and music together with personal observation and historical and cultural analysis. And in today's world of polarized politics, twitter trolls and "sidebars of shame," it couldn't be timelier. Engaging, insightful, and entertaining, Schadenfreude makes the case for thinking afresh about the role this much-maligned emotion plays in our lives -- perhaps even embracing it.
9780316470308 0316470309
2018939521
GBB8E7187 bnb
019009230 Uk
Envy.
Pleasure.
Humiliation.
Embarrassment.
Embarrassment.
Envy.
Humiliation.
Pleasure.
BF575.E65 / W38 2018
152.4/8
Schadenfreude : the joy of another's misfortune / Tiffany Watt Smith. - First North American edition. - 157 pages ; 19 cm
Originally published in Great Britain by Profile Books, 2018.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 147-154) and index.
We all know the pleasure felt at someone else's misfortune. The Germans named this furtive delight in another's failure schadenfreude (from schaden damage, and freude, joy), and it has perplexed philosophers and psychologists for centuries. Why can it be so satisfying to witness another's distress? And what, if anything, should we do about it? Schadenfreude illuminates this hidden emotion, inviting readers to reflect on its pleasures, and how we use other people's miseries to feel better about ourselves. Written in an exploratory, evocative form, it weaves examples from literature, philosophy, film, and music together with personal observation and historical and cultural analysis. And in today's world of polarized politics, twitter trolls and "sidebars of shame," it couldn't be timelier. Engaging, insightful, and entertaining, Schadenfreude makes the case for thinking afresh about the role this much-maligned emotion plays in our lives -- perhaps even embracing it.
9780316470308 0316470309
2018939521
GBB8E7187 bnb
019009230 Uk
Envy.
Pleasure.
Humiliation.
Embarrassment.
Embarrassment.
Envy.
Humiliation.
Pleasure.
BF575.E65 / W38 2018
152.4/8