Schadenfreude

Filed under Complex & secondary emotions · List of Human Emotions editorial team

Schadenfreude, a term borrowed from German, describes the experience of feeling pleasure or satisfaction when another person encounters misfortune. Though the emotion is widely experienced across human populations, many find it socially uncomfortable to acknowledge or express. The feeling frequently emerges in situations involving rivals, people who are actively disliked, or individuals perceived as deserving of their setback.

Psychologists often study schadenfreude in relation to envy and justice-related emotions, as the experience frequently reflects underlying social comparison processes or a perceived restoration of fairness. When someone viewed negatively experiences a downturn, observers may experience a sense that balance has been restored or that appropriate consequences have followed. This connection to fairness judgments distinguishes schadenfreude from simple malice and suggests it operates partly as a response to perceived wrongdoing or inequality.

Schadenfreude is recognized in emotion science as a genuine affective experience rather than classified as inherently virtuous or blameworthy. It represents one of the complex ways humans respond to the outcomes affecting others around them, particularly when social hierarchies, competition, or justice concerns are at stake. Acknowledging schadenfreude as a real and understandable emotion—rather than dismissing it—allows for clearer understanding of human social psychology and the varied feelings that arise within everyday social contexts.

Sources: American Psychological Association — APA Dictionary: emotion; Greater Good Science Center, UC Berkeley — Emotions; Plutchik's Wheel of Emotions (Robert Plutchik) — overview. Educational information only — not medical or psychological advice. See our sources & fact-check policy.

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