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Schadenfreude. And revenge.
May. 7th, 2009 04:45 pmOOC: Crossposted from ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
theatrical_muse today.
Prompt 279: Schadenfreude.
Prompt 143: Revenge.
Schadenfreude. What a delicious-sounding word. "Joy in damage", or "joy in shame." It's in the fundamental wiring of all sentient beings -- enjoying the suffering of others, as deep in all our natures as empathy is. And the most delightful of schadenfreude is the joy we take in the suffering of those who have *hurt* us.
It's not very often that a being is capable of hurting me. Most of the time, I have to admit, my pleasure in the sufferings of others is more your garden variety sadism with some vicarious thrills thrown in -- it's not really the *suffering* of others I enjoy quite so much as the excitement of watching them try to solve the puzzles I set for them or jump through the hoops I put in their way. But I gotta confess, watching other people squirm and sweat is kind of fun in and of itself. That being said, I don't get truly, completely vicious unless I think they deserve it. I mean, I might put some poor species in a deathtrap I really do know they have no chance of thinking their way out of just because I'm in a bad mood that day, but I won't indulge in the cruelest psychological torments I can come up with unless they honestly deserve it.
( Delighting in the suffering of my enemy. *And* getting revenge. Two great tastes that taste great together! )
Muse: Q
Fandom: Star Trek TNG
theatrical_muse today.Prompt 279: Schadenfreude.
Prompt 143: Revenge.
Schadenfreude. What a delicious-sounding word. "Joy in damage", or "joy in shame." It's in the fundamental wiring of all sentient beings -- enjoying the suffering of others, as deep in all our natures as empathy is. And the most delightful of schadenfreude is the joy we take in the suffering of those who have *hurt* us.
It's not very often that a being is capable of hurting me. Most of the time, I have to admit, my pleasure in the sufferings of others is more your garden variety sadism with some vicarious thrills thrown in -- it's not really the *suffering* of others I enjoy quite so much as the excitement of watching them try to solve the puzzles I set for them or jump through the hoops I put in their way. But I gotta confess, watching other people squirm and sweat is kind of fun in and of itself. That being said, I don't get truly, completely vicious unless I think they deserve it. I mean, I might put some poor species in a deathtrap I really do know they have no chance of thinking their way out of just because I'm in a bad mood that day, but I won't indulge in the cruelest psychological torments I can come up with unless they honestly deserve it.
( Delighting in the suffering of my enemy. *And* getting revenge. Two great tastes that taste great together! )
Muse: Q
Fandom: Star Trek TNG