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This came up on another thread which linked a "news" story about someone getting fired for a reason.
Queue the laughter, mockery, denigration.
"What an idiot!"
"Guess she'll learn her lesson next time."
At face value, the story seemed to actually empathize with the subject of the story, in that the employer's response to the situation was incredibly harsh. No matter, people were quick to judge and criticize the individual even though they don't know the facts of the story or the character of this particular person. The majority of the sentiments leaned heavily towards "haha, you suck, better luck next time" than it did "that sucks, hope they learn something, and land on their feet".
I tend to believe that there is always some linkage to our deep-rooted, biological traits that describe our most primal, visceral reactions to things. So, what is going on in these situations? Is this behavior tied to a 'survival of the fittest' mentality? I love this analogy and I think it describes this well: it's easy to judge someone else's bad breath even though your own nose, which sits right above your mouth, has trouble detecting your own bad breath.
People are tired of the victimhood. At this point in history with employee guides and countless stories of workplace misconduct, you know exactly how to stay employed or get fired.
This came up on another thread which linked a "news" story about someone getting fired for a reason.
Queue the laughter, mockery, denigration.
...
I tend to believe that there is always some linkage to our deep-rooted, biological traits that describe our most primal, visceral reactions to things. So, what is going on in these situations? Is this behavior tied to a 'survival of the fittest' mentality? I love this analogy and I think it describes this well: it's easy to judge someone else's bad breath even though your own nose, which sits right above your mouth, has trouble detecting your own bad breath.
As a young girl (I'm in my mid-60s), I and my peers were taught to contain our negative impulses. We were taught that any monkey can pelt the vulnerable, scoff vocally, etc, but humans were to be "civilized" and should suppress such impulses and develop compassion, empathy, and consideration for others. Now, it seems, we are reverting to our lowest, meanest impulses -- especially people online.
I do not enjoy seeing others fail, hurt, etc. It hurts me too. Sadly, to express such feelings only draws further "fire." We've become a world of hyenas. I hope that it is an extreme, and the pendulum will swing back, but for now we have to face the fact that all too many of us have left behind any sense of being humane. It's a sorry state, because in a "dog eat dog" world, everyone suffers; there are no lessons learned.
Only by realizing our errors and refraining from our base instincts to reach for our higher selves can we get out of this with our conscience intact. To many, they just do not care.
I don't know that people enjoy seeing others fail in general. A lot depends on the reason. BillyBob throws a near perfect pass for the end zone but Jimbo comes out of nowhere to intercept it on the one and makes a terrific return, slipping tackles and dancing around players to make a 99-yard TD return. Most people see that while Billybob was near perfect, Jimbo just made an amazing play. On the other hand Billybob is passing out of his own end zone and throws right into double coverage behind his own line of scrimmage, and people will wonder "What was he thinking?"
Same thought process if someone is fired. All depends on why.
This came up on another thread which linked a "news" story about someone getting fired for a reason.
Queue the laughter, mockery, denigration.
"What an idiot!"
"Guess she'll learn her lesson next time."
At face value, the story seemed to actually empathize with the subject of the story, in that the employer's response to the situation was incredibly harsh. No matter, people were quick to judge and criticize the individual even though they don't know the facts of the story or the character of this particular person. The majority of the sentiments leaned heavily towards "haha, you suck, better luck next time" than it did "that sucks, hope they learn something, and land on their feet".
I tend to believe that there is always some linkage to our deep-rooted, biological traits that describe our most primal, visceral reactions to things. So, what is going on in these situations? Is this behavior tied to a 'survival of the fittest' mentality? I love this analogy and I think it describes this well: it's easy to judge someone else's bad breath even though your own nose, which sits right above your mouth, has trouble detecting your own bad breath.
Given that I commented on the thread that you're referencing in this post, I can't say that I celebrated the firing of this young woman for her lateness, but I did call her out on not only immediately feeling the need to broadcast the event, but for creating her social media broadcast while she was barreling down the road. That's a safety issue and I judge that sort of behavior just as harshly as I would someone who was driving while drunk or high. That post could have been created as soon as she got home, or, if she simply wanted to strike while the iron was hot, she could have pulled into a parking lot, stopped the car, and made her post there.
I also think that there was more to this story that that TikToker being two minutes tardy to work (it's a rare workplace that doesn't give a one-time forgiveness for what amounts to a relatively minor infraction).
This has nothing to do with schadenfreude or a survival of the fittest mentality, but of judging a person by their immaturity and need for immediate validation of how they're feeling.
Most people are varying levels of insecure just due to our biology and gossiping judging and blaming others is people's way to inflate their sense of self-worth and find out where they stand in the social hierarchy.
It can also be due to moralizing and self-righteousness, which itself has roots in fear anger and insecurity. I'm reading Eckhart Tolles book a New Earth right now and it's really starting to internalize some of the principles I've been reading about and practicing for years and years and years. It's finally starting to click inside me.
Basically, judging others is something I'm less and less participating in and it's more about acceptance and being. Admit it when you're judging somebody for something you perceive they did wrong you have a sort of a self-righteous emotional kick you get from the experience. You feel that you are superior because you are doing it right and they are doing it wrong. You are incorrect.
You have all these rigid rules about how society is supposed to be that people have to do this and have to do that all that is strongly egotistical. It's important... structure in society is important...yet it's important not to take life too seriously. It's better to let people make mistakes and learn from them then to try to preach and moralize them into never making a mistake because then they just resent you in the end while they go and do it anyways. Ditching self-righteous judgment is such a weight off the shoulders it brings such a feeling of peace.
People grow far faster and far more psychologically healthy if they're allowed to be themselves and make their own mistakes, within reason of course.
I am beginning to think there is an angelic gene that for so many, is not turned on, not activated. Me, I love being angelic, cheering people on to their success, saying "Good for you!" when they are getting what they want, even if I am not. I get off on it.
And I do get off on it and that may be part of this gene. I experience little intense pangs being like that. Further, it is a positive feed back circuit in that I want more, More, MORE.
Of course, a world of me running around wouldn't be good, either, but maybe, just maybe, there is a gene.
The German word for the thread title is Schadenfreude. It is a compound word where Schaden means pain or damage and Freude is joy or self-satisfaction. The two words put together mean satisfaction derived from the pain of others.
This came up on another thread which linked a "news" story about someone getting fired for a reason.
Queue the laughter, mockery, denigration.
"What an idiot!"
"Guess she'll learn her lesson next time."
At face value, the story seemed to actually empathize with the subject of the story, in that the employer's response to the situation was incredibly harsh. No matter, people were quick to judge and criticize the individual even though they don't know the facts of the story or the character of this particular person. The majority of the sentiments leaned heavily towards "haha, you suck, better luck next time" than it did "that sucks, hope they learn something, and land on their feet".
I tend to believe that there is always some linkage to our deep-rooted, biological traits that describe our most primal, visceral reactions to things. So, what is going on in these situations? Is this behavior tied to a 'survival of the fittest' mentality? I love this analogy and I think it describes this well: it's easy to judge someone else's bad breath even though your own nose, which sits right above your mouth, has trouble detecting your own bad breath.
It's hard to say without reading the original story that provoked the response you describe. Could you provide a link?
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