Joy of Pain: Schadenfreude and the Dark Side of Human NatureFew people will easily admit to taking pleasure in the misfortunes of others. But who doesn't enjoy it when an arrogant but untalented contestant is humiliated on American Idol, or when the embarrassing vice of a self righteous politician is exposed, or even when an envied friend suffers a small setback? The truth is that joy in someone else's pain known by the German word schadenfreude permeates our society. In The Joy of Pain, psychologist Richard