Decoding the phenomenon of Schadenfreude



It was a calm Sunday evening when the phone was picked up and WhatsApp was checked for messages.

The school group happened to have over 70 unread messages which is unusual for the group that usually shares a sporadic forwarded message on rare occasions.

Upon opening the message window it was learned that the focus was a famous actress, dancer, model, reality show judge, VJ, and television personality.

Person1: Look at her walking around like that

An Instagram reel was shared where the lady in question was on her way out of a beauty clinic.

Person2: Why does she have to dress up like that

Person3: Her tits are hanging out and you can even see the edge of her buttocks

Person4: She even got vaccinated with her boobs hanging out.

Person1: This slut is almost 45

Person5: Hey, no need to call her that, that term is misogynistic. It offends me as a woman

Person1: Sorry, but look at her. Does she have to parade around with everything on display?

Person5: I agree there, she is an attention-seeking desperate woman.

Person2: She has a son in his mid-20s, I wonder how he must feel.

Person5: Yes, it's terrible. She is now dating a guy as old as her son.

Person3: Disgraceful

Person4: Very odd behavior

Person1: He’ll dump her someday and she will turn into a complete psycho

Person2: Even on TV she dresses up cheaply. Exposing her midriff and low-cut tops.

Person3: I don’t understand what satisfaction she gets from doing this.

Person4: There is another lady on TV, same age. But fully dressed up. She looks gorgeous in traditional wear.

Person5: She is going around with a young toyboy and showing her body to the world. Must be awful for her family.

Person1: She could easily work out at home. But she has this itch to put herself out there. I bet the paparazzi are paid by her. Who would want to see an old lady make a fool of herself?

Person2: She is 13 million followers on Instagram

Person5: Oh yes, it is PR agencies, mostly fake followers

Person1: I can't wait for Mr. Toyboy to dump her, she will end up in a mental asylum

Person6: Toyboy is rich

Person4: That's why she chose him

Person1: That is why he will dump her soon and she will go mental.

Person2: Lol

Person4: Why Person1, do you work at a mental asylum?

Person1: I will get a job once she checks in

Person4: Here’s another photo of hers in a bikini

An Instagram photo was shared where the lady in question was by the pool in her swimwear.

Person5: God, ugly marks. She is so dark, she looks like a maid.

Person3: She should do porn movies and get it all out of her system

Person5: Going too far, man. 

Person3: Sorry, I mean, she is showing so much. Show it all like Sunny Leone

Person4: Just to put things in perspective, Nirupa Roy was the same age as here when she played Amitabh’s Mom

Person5: Those were the days when decency mattered

Person2: Now she is going out when someone of the age that Amitabh was back then.

Person1: lol

Person7: God, have you guys nothing better to do?

Person6: Nice to see another lady in this boys club

Person7: Why spend a lovely Sunday talking about this hideous creature.

Person3: She’s rich isn’t she

Person6: Alimony is big money

Person1: Lol!

Person7: She is in good shape though

Person6: It is all surgery and Botox. Her legs are all veiny, wrinkly, and weird.

Person7: Probably.

Person6: Look at this photo here

Another Instagram photo was shared where the lady in question is p

Person7: Oh gross. Yuck

Person4: How do you suppose she gets so much ‘work’ on TV?

Person6: There are various ways these women get work

Person1: Wow!

Person7: Also these film producers are their friends, it is nepotism, very easy.


The chat could function as a microcosm of the society we live in.

The target on this chat was a successful entrepreneur who runs her fashion brand, food brand and also has her Yoga studio. She is also hugely popular on TV and for her fabulous dancing. She frequently appears in the Forbes list of wealthiest showbiz individuals. She is more popular, prominent, and successful than traditional leading ladies in Hindi movies.

To sum it up she is fit, good looking, rich, successful and popular.

But look how all her achievements were surgically targeted and demeaned.

If she is rich it is because of the alimony she receives. If she gets work it is because she either sleeps with the makers or they are her friends. If she is good-looking it is surgery. They gleefully point out her flaws.

The focus is solely on her personal life, her divorce, and her relationship with a younger man because they see it as a way to put her down.

Her choice of clothing also once again is a way to impugn her character, because in their minds only 'sluts' wear revealing clothes.

There are two distinct choices upon seeing the highly successful.

The first choice is to study how they have reached their peaks of accomplishments and apply them to their lives.

The second is to demean them with pejorative epithets and belittle their achievements. Since it takes a great deal of hard work and perseverance to rise up, you pull the person down in your mind and feel great.

Beneath all the hate, they do realize is desirable, and in fantastic shape so they kill the envy by demeaning her.

There are numerous instances where people gleefully cheer when the successful display some fallibility.  

The term is called Schadenfreude a condition where pleasure or amusement is in response to the misfortunes, pain, humiliation, or mistakes of other people.

WhatsApp or social media behavior is very much like a lynch mob where one person starts and soon the mob joins in to destroy their target.

The famous play Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe is a Marathi play written by Indian playwright Vijay Tendulkar was based on this phenomenon.

These feelings are not just restricted to public figures, you will notice it all around you when a friend or relative suffers a failure, the will be plenty of insults disguised as consolations or expressions of support. There are gleeful giggles behind closed doors.

Perhaps this is what we have become?

Perhaps this is happening all over the world?

How difficult is it to live and let live? 

To always look inward and focus on self-improvement

Apparently, it is gut-wrenchingly difficult!

 


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