Schadenfreude

Ken Lewis and Schadenfreude

Posted by Gabriella Stern on April 29, 2009
Ethics & Morality / Comments Off

As each corporate chieftain falls – Bank of America’s Ken Lewis, GM’s Rick Wagoner, Merrill Lynch’s John Thain, and others around the world – I wonder about Schadenfreude, the German term for the feeling of gratification or pleasure one derives from another’s misfortune. Ditto when one reads about the misfortunes of the wealthy – now rather less well-off – bilked by Madoff or otherwise returning to earth with a thud. A recent NYT story about upscale New Yorkers scrambling to find decent public schools for their kids now that they can no longer afford posh private schools – boo-hoo! – likewise spurred a family discussion of Schadenfreude and morality.  Continue reading…

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