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    Laughing at others’ misfortune is fine for ‘fail’ videos. It’s poison for politics

    The German word schadenfreude describes taking pleasure in another’s misfortune – a combination of joy and amusement that’s omnipresent in everything from William Shakespeare’s comedies to America’s Funniest Home Videos. While relatively harmless in the context of, say, watching YouTube footage of a brutal bellyflop, in politics, it hijacks media coverage and pollutes clear thinking about decisions that have far-reaching consequences. In this incisive video essay, Evan Puschak (also known as The Nerdwriter) discusses the troubling rise of schadenfreude in political discourse in the age of Donald Trump .

    Video by The Nerdwriter

    5 July 2017
    Illustration of a person sitting in a room with a bed and various objects. The background is pink, and the objects include a lamp, books, clock, plants, lava lamp, slippers, and a small ball. The person appears to be drawn in a simple, sketch-like style.

    videoSex and sexuality

    After a sextortion scam, Eugene conducts an unblushing survey of masturbation

    14 minutes

    Watercolour painting of a man in a blue suit on a grey background with text “IN SIGHT Morten Kringelbach” on the right.

    videoPleasure and pain

    A happy life is built on pleasures such as sex and food, but also company and variety

    7 minutes

    Black and white photo of men in uniform saluting with outstretched arms, standing in a formation at an indoor event or gathering.

    videoHistory

    What would American fascism look like? A 1939 New York rally offered more than a hint

    7 minutes

    Cartoon of a blonde woman with an annoyed expression and text saying “DAMN YOU STEVE.”

    videoMood and emotion

    Blame lets you blow off steam, but it will rarely help you get at the truth

    3 minutes

    Watercolour illustration of an elderly man with glasses and a white beard, with the text “IN SIGHT Noël Carroll” on a pale background.

    videoBeauty and aesthetics

    Why do audiences thrill to the negative emotions of horror fiction?

    6 minutes

    Vintage photo of Schopenhauer with white hair and mutton chops, resting his head on his hand and looking at the camera.

    videoThinkers and theories

    The intellectual legacy of philosophy’s greatest pessimist: life is suffering, art is supreme

    44 minutes

    Digital artwork of silhouettes of people and a dog with a bright light in the centre, surrounded by lens flare effects on a textured background.

    videoSocial psychology

    The son of a Holocaust survivor grapples with the possibility of forgiving evil

    10 minutes

    Painting of two men cloaked in dark coats gazing at a crescent moon, standing near a large gnarled tree in an eerie twilight landscape.

    videoBeauty and aesthetics

    Why Caspar David Friedrich pits nature’s grandeur against the humble human

    7 minutes

    Illustration of a smiling figure with a topknot, red cheeks, and a small goatee. The background features abstract, pastel-blue and light-brown brush strokes.

    videoGlobal history

    Meet the jesters who’ve spoken truth to power around the globe and across centuries

    5 minutes