Most English-speaking people have heard the German word “Schadenfreude” and are somewhat familiar with it’s meaning - taking pleasure from someone else’s misfortune. It relates to the old joke about the difference between comedy and tragedy –
Tragedy is when you fall through an open manhole cover into raw sewage.
Comedy is when you see someone else fall through an open manhole cover into raw sewage.
Lately, however, I have been thinking a lot about “Mitfreude” – taking pleasure from someone else’s good fortune and happiness. I know several people who have been struggling with addictions to drugs or alcohol (or both) who are now sober. When I hear of their latest “anniversary” of their sobriety, I feel joy and mitfreude, even though it really doesn’t affect me or my life personally.
Another casual friend just got engaged to be married - and I had a period of mitfreude when I read the news on Facebook.
A former student just announced on her Facebook page that she has been cast in a play which opens in London’s West End next month – and more mitfreude.
I have had a lot of pain in my life, especially in the past few years, so mixed with the mitfreude is a bit of envy and even jealousy. I wish that something would happen in my life to cause others mitfreude, but at least having mitfreude, even for a total stranger, is far better than having schadenfreude.
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