Are you deriving more pleasure from someone else’s good fortune (mitfreude) or malicious enjoyment from their misfortune (schadenfreude)? It’s your choice. Is it my imagination, or are more people hoping for and relishing in the misfortune of others? Gleeful when a rival fails so they might rise. Hoping for and gloating at their misfortune. You know people like this. You deal with them every day at work and to some degree in your private life. The ones who plot and scheme to gain by your misfortune and even set the stage for your failure. Spending time setting traps rather than focusing on enhancing their own capabilities. Theirs is the way to the spiral death of society. There is a better alternative, and we see it every day.
The news would make it seem the world has become less tolerant with those who disagree with them. We see and hear so many people pursuing revenge or retribution. Leaders and influencers do anything, say anything, and imply anything which will bring misfortune to those ideologically different. Their followers, rather than asking inconvenient, uncomfortable, questions, trail along, clinging to every word as if gospel, and propagate the incendiary actions. They don’t strive to understand and refuse to yield on any position.
Don’t be misled or disillusioned. These are an unfortunate, disgruntled, minority in the fabric of our social system. The majority wish people well and celebrate their accomplishments. Yes, even if those accomplishments are counter to our desired goal.
This is our individual choice. We can relish in the good fortune of others, or we can choose to wallow in venomous, sadistic, pleasure of their suffering. Choosing to enjoy the good fortune or the pain of others is up to each of us. And by such a choice you clearly show the world what kind of person you are. A society which dwells upon the misfortune of their rivals is destined to fail. It fails because hate isn’t sustainable. Hate breed’s hate. It doesn’t encourage collaboration or competition. We need to collectively find the best solutions. We need to celebrate the accomplishments of others and build upon them. Every day, we get to choose to celebrate other’s joy. We’ve not lost the capacity of compassion. We see it every day in so many ways. We routinely choose compassion over oppression. We choose charity over fraud. We find ways to help those who are less fortunate. We are better than the schadenfreudians. We choose mitfreude. Be the best you can be on your own merit and support those around you, even if you don’t wholly agree with them. And for those others, we must work harder, think deeper, care more, and communicate our position better. #NeverFearTheDream simplebender.com
Mitfreude: Enjoyment derived from observing someone else’s fortune or luck. Schadenfreude: Malicious enjoyment derived from observing someone else’s misfortune.
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