Richard Smith : When people suffer misfortunes , we feel sorry for them , or do we ? Comment: More than we probably want to admit , we sometimes are secretly pleased . Schadenfreude is a natural feeling , and there is little use in berating ourselves over its easy arousal . He says in sports , politics , schadenfreude tend to be brought out into the open . Smith : Schadenfreude is a natural emotion , we should n't berate ourselves for feeling it .
Richard Smith : When people suffer misfortunes , we feel sorry for them , or do we ? Comment: More than we probably want to admit , we sometimes are secretly pleased . He says in sports , politics , schadenfreude tend to be brought out into the open . Smith : Schadenfreude is a natural emotion , we should n't berate ourselves for feeling it .