English can be a firm language, but sometimes a word from another English language expresses something you miss. Such is the case of a special and interesting emotional feeling known by a German name. "Taking pleasure in the misfortune of others", "schadenfreude" or rejoicing in the evil of others, has recently been studied by psychologists whose results have implications for work. Neuropsychological research shows that when we experience unhealthy joy, it is our brain's pleasure centers that light up, similar to what happens when we enjoy a good meal or win a contest. This may explain why we have a special interest in reading about the misadventures of Bernie Madoff, Lindsay Lohan, Charlie Sheen and others. As you can experience, we are more likely to experience unhealthy joy when misfortune happens to someone who envies or dislikes, in a recent study showed, someone we see as a rival, as a co-worker with whom we have a competitive relationship. This effect was maintained even when researchers controlled how much of the person they like the other. What are the ethical and work implications of rejoicing in the evil of others? 1. Do not judge too harshly to experience unhealthy joy. As one review noted, " it seems almost inherent in the social being. " If we expect ourselves not to experience unhealthy joy towards a co-worker not liking it, it is a rule that we are obliged to stop complying with. 2. At the same time, try to recognize that while social comparisons are natural, they are not particularly healthy. As the eminent psychologist Susan Fiske has pointed out, " Comparing emotions can corrupt the comparator. " Maybe we can't avoid some comparisons with our coworkers or friends, but we can control the number of times we do. Schadenfreude can prevent us from feeling empathy not only with a person, but also with those who suffer misfortune in general.

Instructions: 

1. Access the video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCQGQ5qBQTA. 

2. Look at the feelings about the misfortunes of others. 

3. Write a reflection of at least three (3) pages related to your opinion regarding the previous situation.