A Tale Of Two Unusual Words

From juicy gossip to salacious reality TV shows to our combative political landscape, some strangely take pleasure in other people’s misfortune. For some reason, we might feel better when others miss the mark. This childish emotion is known as schadenfreude, a German word that Merriam-Webster defines as “enjoyment obtained from the troubles of others.”

The root cause is a sense of scarcity. If others miss out, the theory goes, the chance for your own success increases. Another person’s loss is a...