It is easy to become mentally exhausted and mired in the muck of small talk, gossip and the verbal vilification of people. There is a German term,Schadenfreude, which is defined as, “A feeling of enjoyment that comes from seeing or hearing about the troubles of other people.” Some experience their happiness in a relative fashion. They emotionally assess their condition or state of happiness through comparison to others. These people get a distinct, some could say perverse, pleasure from the fortune or misfortune of others. Think about this: do you know any of these people? Those who would limit or cut down others to make themselves feel good or better? Perhaps the better question is — how many of these people do you know?
Stay with me…
As we enter 2016, we can take the challenge to become better and limit those elements of human nature which marginalize ourselves and others. It’s not always easy, but if we choose, we can work to become a champion of advancement. Choose to be in the service of the self by learning to serve others. Serving others is not so much about a servant mentality or a secondary position in a relationship as it is about maintaining a higher level of awareness — awareness that we can turn into a way of thinking. From this way of thinking, we can link a consistency to our deeds that reflects our thoughts.
Your words and actions may inspire and perhaps make a difference in what some people think and do. Can’t catch everyone… and people change for their reasons, not yours. I am of the school of thought that humans imitate and replicate — make yourself a model worthy of example. Know that your inner circle, those who you associate with the most, will influence, impact, limit or enable a better version of you. Careful with those choices — you are the sum total of those 3 – 5 people you hang-out with the most.
Know that your inner circle, those who you associate with the most, will influence, impact, limit or enable a better version of you.
Limit the negative thoughts and lose the joy in another’s misfortune — try it — perhaps you will find an internal happiness from sharing, developing and collaborating with people. At a minimum, you may find a source of happiness or satisfaction that is independent of other’s misfortune.
For me, this is an expression of freedom. It is a congruency of lived values and expressed purpose. Negativity brings grey hair and ulcers. Not a pretty picture! It’s a useless exercise in self-erosion — we whither from within and become the lived expression of toxicity when we take joy in another’s misfortune.
It takes mental toughness to defeat jealousy. Mental toughness will overcome the need for some to denigrate in thought and perhaps verbally assault those who don’t share our philosophy, thoughts or behaviors. We often fear what we don’t understand.
Your weapon against the naysayers, the cynics and the people that take satisfaction in your misfortune, originates in awareness. When you are aware, you will be able to differentiate and assign worth to the external opinion of the crowd. Maintain self-vigilance, know that what you feed yourself from both the external and internal voice will become your reality. Build a solid foundation of belief and maintain a self-image free of the castigation and limits of those who personify the term “Schadenfreude“.
