Re: Meaning of Schadenfreude

From: P Settli (petsett@ONLINE.NO)
Date: Wed Sep 19 2001 - 14:09:07 EDT


"Karey Perkins" wrote:

> Peter,
> I don't know what other members think, but it seems to be that
the term is
> close to, but not quite, exactly what Percy thinks. I don't
think Percy is
> talking about a "joy" that results DIRECTLY from the misfortune
of others
> (such as what happens when you see your enemies get their
due...).
>I think
> he's referring to an indirect result...the "joy" in the
camaraderie and
> sense of purpose that come when bonding together to fight for a
good cause.
> So I don't think he's saying people are "happy" when others
suffer, or at
> the prospect of suffering, but the feeling results from the
fact that there
> is now a purpose.

According to my Shorter OED, it means literally "harm-joy".

I looked at Nikki's post again, and her comment that Percy noted
"that we tend to feel good at
times when things
are bad, e.g. when a hurricane is on the way".

When I think of Schadenfreude, I think of it as being more
base, more sinful, in the vein of what I image dDoctor Whasisname
feels
in relationship to Tom Moore in
_Thanatos Syndrome_, . (Don't have the book on hand. Leant it out
years ago). The gloating at Tom's misfortune and the phony
conciliation.

Schadenfreude is also what, to my shame and disgust, I experienced
at the first news of what turned out to be an unimaginable
tragedy.

Apropos your sense of the term, I e-mailed a friend in the States
and shared my reactions and reverberations and he answered in
reply that the tragedy "gave me something to care about."

How do you like them apples?

Have a feeling that all of this is definitely Percian.

Regards,

Petter



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