The first book analysis event of the 2021-2022 Spring Semester was held by Üsküdar University's Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. The event, featuring Research Assistant Elif Kurtuluş from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences as a speaker, discussed Tiffany Watt Smith's book titled "Schadenfreude: The Joy of Other People's Misfortune."
“The feeling of joy from another's misfortune: Schadenfreude”
Drawing from Tiffany Watt Smith’s book “Schadenfreude: The Joy of Other People's Misfortune,” Kurtuluş emphasized that the pleasure derived from others' misfortunes is a human emotion that is not insidious. She stated that this emotion, which has an ancient semantic history, became more widespread after the 2000s.
Kurtuluş, in the continuing part of the book analysis, stated that the feeling of joy from another's misfortune (Schadenfreude) has five main characteristics. Describing the first characteristic of Schadenfreude as the entertainment and pleasure one gets from an unfortunate fiasco that they did not cause, Kurtuluş stated that this emotion is not insidious, it is interpreted in a sense related to the concepts of right and justice, it can soothe one's feelings of inadequacy and increase self-esteem, and it also creates a feeling of joy against blunders and misfortunes. Kurtuluş pointed out that various expressions used in gossip news, such as “their latest look surprised everyone, and you won't believe it when you see child stars' latest appearance,” trigger this emotion.
“The pleasure of justice emerges in every situation, even if it takes different forms”
Making assessments based on the book, Kurtuluş referred to scientific research that helps understand the feeling of Schadenfreude. Kurtuluş reported that a study conducted in Leipzig found that 6-year-old children and chimpanzees wanted to see a misbehaving puppet punished during a puppet show. In the same study, chimpanzees opened a bolt to get to the other side of the cage to see the puppets punished, while children put money into a box. Kurtuluş underlined that these results indicate that the pleasure of justice is a desired outcome even in different species.
“The feeling of Schadenfreude does not always lead to negative consequences”
Kurtuluş stated that the feeling of Schadenfreude can have a side that prevents arrogance and guides an individual towards a better state, and that this emotion does not have a characteristic that can define or generalize a person. Emphasizing the importance of being able to share this feeling from time to time, Kurtuluş concluded her speech by stating that it is a tool that helps one understand what they feel or expect, makes them realize they can make mistakes, and shows that no one is perfect. The event concluded after a question-and-answer session.