You've probably heard the word "schadenfreude" which gets used a lot here. A German word meaning the converse just surfaced on my radar -- "gluckschmerz."
Schadenfreude means taking pleasure in the misfortune of others. Gluckschmerz means being sad at the good fortune of others.
Here's an example. Say you are a sensible person and hate the New York Yankees baseball team. When the Yankees fail to make the playoffs, you experience schadenfreude. Happy schadenfreude. When, however, the Yankees win the World Series because they unfairly buy the best talent on the market, you feel gluckschmerz. Serious gluckschmerz.
Got it?
Fantastic words aren’t they? Love ‘em.
ReplyDeleteFunny. It COULD be a word that Germans make up, but I am German and I have never heard the word "Glücksschmerz" in use.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't hear of gluckschmerz yet. It's brilliant. The Germans do have a way with words ... xxx
ReplyDeleteSpoken like a true Long Islander.
ReplyDeleteI have to tell people that I come from a mixed marriage...my wife is a Mets fan.
When I dated my wife (from Philly), her father said it didn't matter what religion I was (they were Jewish), the only deal-breaker for him was if I was a Yankee fan.
DeleteI find the literal translations versus the meaning of German words interesting. In this case, Gluck means luck and Schmerz means Pain/ache so here- Luck pain/ache!
ReplyDeleteAnd Schadenfreude is Damage Joy!!!