Did you know that the emotion of “schadenfreude” — the pleasure derived from another person’s misfortune — has its own dedicated brain circuitry? Scientists have found that when we witness someone getting their comeuppance, especially if we see them as deserving of it, our brain lights up in areas associated with reward, creating a unique cocktail of dopamine and delight, proving we’re all just a bit enchanted by the cosmic balance of justice, even if it’s at someone else’s expense.
Schadenfreude…What?
