Is it okay to feel ‘schadenfreude’ at work? Here’s how to navigate this complex emotion

Have you ever felt (perhaps secretly) elated when something went wrong for someone else? We may not openly admit it, but many of us have probably felt this way – sometimes intentionally, sometimes unconsciously.

This feeling has a name, taken from German: ‘schadenfreude’. And workplaces or other business environments – with all their pressure, rivalries and office politics – can create the ideal conditions for this to happen.

This is why we sometimes feel happy about the failures of others, why this emotion can have double-edged consequences, and how it can be reframed to promote learning and personal growth.

What is schadenfreude?

Schadenfreude is a compound word formed from two German nouns: “schaden,” meaning damage, and “freude,” meaning joy.

It is important that we are talking about something other than bullying, or actively hurting someone else.

Research has shown that schadenfreude occurs relatively often in the workplace. It is found among employees at all hierarchical levels, from lower-level staff to senior management.

For an employee, this can happen when he sees a rival or envied colleague being mistreated by a supervisor.

Similarly, top managers may feel gloating when rivals fail. Our previous research shows that strategic leaders, including CEOs and other strategic-level decision makers, are prone to this emotion.

To explore this further, our current study examines how Australian top managers respond to competitors’ failures, with a particular focus on how they perceive and experience schadenfreude.

Our preliminary findings, which have yet to be peer-reviewed, suggest that leaders recognize schadenfreude as a feeling that arises when a rival organization experiences setbacks, especially in a competitive industry.

This was evident in their reflections on the PwC tax scandal and the 2022 Optus data breach, when they viewed these organizations as rivals. For example, one participant explained:

Well, I guess human nature again would dictate that you would go, oh, the competitor, you didn’t do so well […] You can’t help but rub your hands together and say, we’re going to get some customers out of this.

At first glance, schadenfreude seems emotionally counterintuitive. Ethically, one might expect that witnessing another person in distress would elicit a response of empathy or compassion.

So why does the observer experience pleasure or delight instead? Is it a momentary lack of empathy and moral judgment, or is there something else going on?

Soothe our insecurities

Feelings of schadenfreude can have many motivations. One of the most important has to do with uncertainty.

Seeing someone perform worse than you may make you feel better about your own abilities. This process is known as downward social comparison. In this way, schadenfreude can increase self-esteem for some people.

The failures of top performers are especially noticeable because they are seen as the best in their field.

Schadenfreude can be reflected in the cultural phenomenon of the ‘tall poppy syndrome’, a tendency to ‘belittle’ those who stand out.

Perceptions of merit can also drive this emotion. When someone acts unethically or seems undeserving of success and then faces failure, observers often feel like they “got what they deserved.”

Identification with a particular organization can also lead to gloating. When employees feel a strong bond with their organization, they may view rivals as “out-groups,” making competitors’ setbacks feel like victories that strengthen their organizational pride.

The dangers of schadenfreude

There are some dangers to be aware of when navigating this emotion.

First, the feeling of schadenfreude can lead to overconfidence at work. When employees or managers view their success in relation to the failures of others, they can become complacent, overlook changes and develop blind spots.

Second, schadenfreude can spread through gossip and damage workplace relationships.

If colleagues sense that you enjoy their difficulties, they may feel unsafe sharing their failures or challenges. This can undermine openness and mutual support, damaging trust and relationships within the organization.

And third, it can undermine empathy in the workplace. Employees or managers who take pleasure in the misfortune of others often fail to recognize the challenges their colleagues face.

By prioritizing personal satisfaction or gaining an advantage over showing compassion, they fail to put themselves in the shoes of others, which can undermine the supportive and overall ethical climate of the organization.

A double-edged sword

It can feel like a complex, dark emotion. But by recognizing its drivers and dealing with it mindfully, schadenfreude can be turned into a positive opportunity to learn and grow.

When you recognize that what you are feeling is gloating, you can pause and think, “Is this really how I want to react?”, or “Is this really me?”

You can ask yourself reflective questions such as:

• Could something like this happen to me too?
• What went wrong with them and what can I learn from it?
• How can I use this situation to improve myself or my decisions?

Being aware of this emotion and paying attention to it can help you move from simply enjoying the failures of others to learning from them, improving yourself, addressing your own weaknesses, and preparing for future challenges without losing your moral values.