Ethics, Friday, October 2, 2020

[sith_happened]

"Sometimes there are words that express an emotion so perfectly that you're kind of angry your language didn't come up with it, too," Anakin said. "Today we're going to talk about one of those words: schadenfreude. It's a German word that means taking pleasure in the misfortune of others and I know we've all experienced it."

He smirked slightly. "It comes up frequently around here during gremlin bites, since gremlins are basically schadenfreude given form."

He leaned back against his desk. "So, from an ethical standpoint, why do you think our initial reaction to other people having bad luck is to have a bit of a laugh about it? Does it matter if you already dislike the person? Is this related to why watching people get hit in the privates with a baseball bat is always hilarious?"

Comments

Sign in 10/2

[sith_happened]

Full of schadenfreude.

Listen to the lecture

[sith_happened]

Or flip through your phone full of pictures of gremlin bit ridiculousness.

Answer the questions!

[sith_happened]

Why do we enjoy watching people not us have bad things happen to them?

Talk to Anakin!

[sith_happened]

Who knows a thing or seven about gremlin bites.

OOC

[sith_happened]

Inspired by ~actual events~

Chung-chung.

Re: OOC

[bigdamnprincipal]

<3 <3 <3

Re: Sign in 10/2

[grayskollar]

Adora

Re: Sign in 10/2

[x_discospider_x]

Troy Barnes

Re: Sign in 10/2

[gospel_of_oblivion]

Illyana Rasputin

Re: Sign in 10/2

[bookbeltof_love]

Nina Argentum

Re: Answer the questions!

[bookbeltof_love]

"Like, do you really consider watching people who got bit think they're pop stars is a bad thing???????????" Nina wondered.

It... wasn't going to stop her from recording any and all madness, no.

Re: Sign in 10/2

[dauntlessdragoon]

Freya Crescent

Re: Answer the questions!

[gospel_of_oblivion]

"Because we know they take joy in our pain, so why not find amusement in theirs."

Illyana, your demonic upbringing is showing again.

Re: Sign in 10/2

[mother_forker]

Eleanor Shellstrop

Re: Answer the questions!

[mother_forker]

"Hey, making fun of other people is the best thing ever!"

Eleanor was taking the wrong lesson from this class.

Re: OOC

[mother_forker]

I do not have a Marty account so this one will have to do.

DOINK.

DOINK.

Re: Sign in 10/2

[toottootmagicflute]

Wei Wuxian

Re: Answer the questions!

[sith_happened]

"I didn't say that," Anakin said, smiling, "I'm just not certain it's the nicest thing."

Re: Answer the questions!

[toottootmagicflute]

Wei Wuxian had his flute in his hand and twirled it slowly as he thought. "It's a form of vengeance, but one where your hands are clean. You get the joy of payback but a clear conscience, and you're free from the judgment of others."

Re: Answer the questions!

[sith_happened]

"How do you know they take joy in our pain?" Anakin wondered.

Re: Answer the questions!

[sith_happened]

"Ever?" Anakin replied, arching an eyebrow.

Re: Answer the questions!

[sith_happened]

Anakin grinned. "I agree. It's deeply satisfying, sometimes."

Re: Answer the questions!

[mother_forker]

“Yeah!”

As long as it wasn’t her.

Re: Answer the questions!

[bookbeltof_love]

"My followers thought it was great???????" she tried.

Because, yeah, Nina had stuck that all over the internet.

Re: Answer the questions!

[sith_happened]

"And what happens when it's you?" Anakin asked.

Re: Answer the questions!

[sith_happened]

"How many followers do you have right now?" Anakin asked.

Re: Answer the questions!

[bookbeltof_love]

She paused.

".......... On which platform???????"

It was a lot, Anakin. A lot.

Re: Answer the questions!

[mother_forker]

"Well then they're just forking stupid," Eleanor said in a complete hypocritical fashion

Re: Answer the questions!

[gospel_of_oblivion]

"Because the vast majority of humans are horrible creatures, and not that much different than demons," she replied simply. "Self-interested and vicious. And they mimic each other."

"So if everyone has always laughed when you're being kicked in the face, you're going to laugh back when it happens to someone else. It's what you were taught was funny, so of course you'll laugh. For once, you have the power instead of being the butt of the joke."

Re: Answer the questions!

[sith_happened]

"It's on more than one platform?"

Re: Answer the questions!

[bookbeltof_love]

........

“.......across several different universes too??????”

Re: Answer the questions!

[grayskollar]

"It seems kind of mean." Adora was fully capable of being a little shit, but there was a difference between that and being amused by people getting hurt.

Re: Sign in 10/2

[thebeastofhouston]

Arabella Baylor

Re: Sign in 10/2

[mylandmyrules]

Nell Ingram

Re: Answer the questions!

[mylandmyrules]

"People think it's funny when people get hit... there? With a baseball bat?"

Nell was utterly horrified.

Re: Answer the questions!

[sith_happened]

Anakin was very, very tempted to facepalm. "So you already know the profitability of schadenfreude," he said.

Re: Answer the questions!

[sith_happened]

Anakin nodded. "It is a little mean, but the question becomes, are we also a little mean?"

Re: Answer the questions!

[sith_happened]

"Especially when it's a dad teaching his son t-ball," Anakin said, nodding.

Re: Answer the questions!

[grayskollar]

"I guess it depends on what the thing is." She and Catra had played a lot of pranks on the other cadets, and occasionally the guards if they thought they could get away with it.

Re: Answer the questions!

[mylandmyrules]

The horrified face you were seeing right now, Anakin, oh the face!

"I cannot imagine that at all," she managed.

Perhaps in the case of one of the church elders, A sense of well-deserved vengeance, but not humor.