Why Are We Pleased With Others' Misfortune?

Human Psychology from a Doctor’s angle:

Why Are We Pleased With Others' Misfortune?

                                                                  Indeed Arthur Schopenhauer argues that to feel envy is human, but to enjoy other people's misfortune is diabolical . I believe that once we understand better this emotion, it becomes more natural and acceptable. For example, when stuck in a traffic jam, should a driver pass us on our right by driving on the hard shoulder, our anger will be replaced by pleasure when we see a policeman giving the driver a ticket .As has been observed that some known or unknown persons or even your close friends get pleasure when they come to know about your sufferings from certain diseases or that your blood reports are abnormal. A leprosy patient thinks everybody should get the disease he is suffering from, so also a TB, diabetic or hypertensive patient. If you watch a TB patient he or she would like to spit in open so that the disease spreads to others. Syphilis, Gonorrhea or HIV patient knowingly try to spread the disease to others that's how these sexual transmitted diseases spread fast all over the world.

                                                                  A leprosy patient rubs his or her hands and fingers on other person’s gate or cycle handle so that others gets it. There is a hidden desire in human psychic to rejoice when he comes to know that another person has got the same disease which he or she is suffering from or has suffered. Remember except your parents and may be in few instances the wife, or a real true friend, nobody else would sympathize you for your heart attack or angioplasty or bypass surgery or detached retina or cancer. The sympathy shown in most instances is superficial, that you must remember. Others get a sadistic pleasure because he or she has suffered from same element few months or years back. Majority of patients criticize when they come to know that their famous doctor who gave them sermons has suffered from a heart attack.

                                            Coming to my point I will narrate you a very interesting story: In a country the King suffered from liver disease and respiratory problems due to excessive indulgence in alcohol and smoking. He reduced the price of cigarette, alcohol and opened new shops, encouraged people to enjoy life. The King provided free feasts meals to his people every week. The people of that country, mostly the young generation praised the king for his sportive and broad minded gesture, where as the older generation and intellectuals criticized the king. They could see a vested hidden interest behind King’s sportive gesture. After few years the King died prematurely along with many youths of the country due to the effect of drugs and sedentary habits. That Kingdom was invaded by another King who was waiting for the opportunity. The King left behind a country which had lots of debt to be paid and the treasury was almost empty. The lesson was a country where people are fond of free food and drugs (alcohol, gutka, bhang, opium and ganja) are likely to become dependent on others and lose physical ,mental strength  and thinking process to fight the enemy or to produce essential goods for the people.

“Sanjoyubacho”