Comments on: What’s the Opposite of Schadenfreude?

By: Bithead

Bithead — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:03:54 +0000

I guess you did not read any of your own comments related to the election :)

So success or failure is now determined by your agreement?

By: reasonablecitizen

reasonablecitizen — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 02:48:18 +0000

I presume that the 94% figure you cite is the good news version of the 6% unemployment figure. That same 6% figure does not count those who have quit looking for jobs. Some have estimated that the number of unemployed who quit looking is 5% of the possible workforce.
That figure of 94% (who want to work) will still apply when those who have quit looking for a job equals 15% of the possible labor force.
How valuable is your metric if it has little resemblance to reality?

By: anjin-san

anjin-san — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 02:38:40 +0000

What failures do you think me to have had?

I guess you did not read any of your own comments related to the election :)

By: Bithead

Bithead — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 01:55:43 +0000

No worries bits, we won't let you failures dampen our Joie de vive..

You interest me, young sir.
What failures do you think me to have had?

By: rodney dill

rodney dill — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 01:42:40 +0000

Uffdah

By: anjin-san

anjin-san — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 22:45:33 +0000

At what point is it permissible to celebrate success when any of us has failed?

No worries bits, we won't let you failures dampen our Joie de vive...

By: Brett

Brett — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 22:45:27 +0000

The opposite of Schadenfreude is probably "Schadenreue." There is a long history of folks in market economies having a little delicacy when it comes to conspicuous consumption during economic downturns. No point in encouraging resentment. Seems like good manners to me. And incidentally, I love the "94 %" argument - that phrasing would also probably look good, superficially, at anything less than 50% unemployment (Imagine: "I mean, more people who want to work are working, than not").

By: tom p

tom p — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 22:03:07 +0000

Life is for those who are willing to live it.

By: Bithead

Bithead — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 21:12:37 +0000

At what point is it permissible to act as if you’re happy? act as if you’re happy?

And here, my freind, you've hit on a Great Truth.(TM)

Of a kind with that:

At what point is it permissible to celebrate success when any of us has failed?

Why should we be allowed to make use of the financial wealth we have when some for whatever reason, don't have not managed to attain finacial wealth?

Etc.

By: Dave Schuler

Dave Schuler — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 21:10:24 +0000

The opposite of schadenfreude is either compassion or sympathetic joy (depending on how you look at it).

By: anjin-san

anjin-san — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 21:03:21 +0000

“it seems kind of rude to be getting trashed when ~~people~~ people like us are without jobs.”