Schadenfreude is a German word that means: to take joy from another’s adversity. Unlike jealousy which is a dark emotion reserved for those who make us feel small, shadenfreude speaks to the delight we feel when justice falls on the mighty who are corrupt or arrogant. Two examples would be Bernie Madoff, the stock swindler, and Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former head of the International Monetary Fund, best known for his assaultive behavior toward women and who is now indicted for being a part of a prostitution ring.
Thinking about this distinction between shadenfreude and envy, which Joseph Stein discussed in a recent essay in “Town & Country” (April, 2012, pg. 66-67), I realized we needed a third word that contained the same notion of fairness, but one which also expressed a tinge of compassion: “there but for the Grace of God go I.” I like, too, the American Indian admonition that we should never judge a man until we’ve walked a mile in his moccasins.
(courtesy: davidclicke.com)
We need a word for that notion of justice.
