BERLIN -- German researchers have found it is healthful to indulge in malicious joy over other people's failings because a good laugh at someone else's expense can help relieve stress, a German newspaper reported Thursday.
Claudia Sies, a Duesseldorf psychoanalyst, told Bild newspaper that "schadenfreude" -- a uniquely German term meaning "joy over someone else's misfortune" -- was not only healthful but could give people insights into their own foibles."Schadenfreude relieves stress because it can lead to a hearty laugh that helps people relax," Sies said.
Sies said people should stop feeling guilty after gloating over someone else's defeat.
View Comments
Her advice to the targets of the malicious joy is to try to simply laugh along with them.