Discussion
I read an article recently which gave a quote from Dame Edna Everidge (australian comedian) 'one of life's great treasures is being able to gloat at other peoples misfortune'. The example given was when the tallest building in New York was being build some people were offering stupid amounts of money to buy the penthouse flats. After it was completed residents found that the building swayed so much in the wind they got seasick.
Some years ago I knew someone who bought a flash car. After a few glasses at lunchtime he decided to take it out for a proper test drive. In less than a mile he was under arrest for driving under the influence.
More recently I met someone who bought a 3 series BMW because it was one of a small number of cars suitable for his superior driving skills. Inside a week he overcooked it on a bend and ended up in a drainage ditch. Because of a previous error of judgement he did not inform his insurance company but spent a couple of thousand putting it back on the road.
Any other stories?
Some years ago I knew someone who bought a flash car. After a few glasses at lunchtime he decided to take it out for a proper test drive. In less than a mile he was under arrest for driving under the influence.
More recently I met someone who bought a 3 series BMW because it was one of a small number of cars suitable for his superior driving skills. Inside a week he overcooked it on a bend and ended up in a drainage ditch. Because of a previous error of judgement he did not inform his insurance company but spent a couple of thousand putting it back on the road.
Any other stories?
Not gloating, but I have certain members of my family who love nothing more than something going wrong / look for negativity in everything
Send them a pic of my toddler on the field next to the sea riding her new big girl bike
“Bet the sea mud smells”
“Has she fallen over yet”
“Looks cold”
“Bet there’s lots of dog turd she is going to ride through”
Etetc
Send it to another family member
“Wow what a big girl, riding a bike along a sunny seaside, make sure daddy gets you an ice cream” etc
Send them a pic of my toddler on the field next to the sea riding her new big girl bike
“Bet the sea mud smells”
“Has she fallen over yet”
“Looks cold”
“Bet there’s lots of dog turd she is going to ride through”
Etetc
Send it to another family member
“Wow what a big girl, riding a bike along a sunny seaside, make sure daddy gets you an ice cream” etc
A more interesting direction for this would be, why? Why do people find joy in others misfortune, i guess freud has gone into that as well…
most likely an inferiority complex of somekind which leaves them feeling elevated by seeing others less well off, same reasons why many display wealth they dont really have.
most likely an inferiority complex of somekind which leaves them feeling elevated by seeing others less well off, same reasons why many display wealth they dont really have.
mtvessel said:
I read an article recently which gave a quote from Dame Edna Everidge (australian comedian) 'one of life's great treasures is being able to gloat at other peoples misfortune'. The example given was when the tallest building in New York was being build some people were offering stupid amounts of money to buy the penthouse flats. After it was completed residents found that the building swayed so much in the wind they got seasick.
Some years ago I knew someone who bought a flash car. After a few glasses at lunchtime he decided to take it out for a proper test drive. In less than a mile he was under arrest for driving under the influence.
More recently I met someone who bought a 3 series BMW because it was one of a small number of cars suitable for his superior driving skills. Inside a week he overcooked it on a bend and ended up in a drainage ditch. Because of a previous error of judgement he did not inform his insurance company but spent a couple of thousand putting it back on the road.
Any other stories?
All of those strike me as bitterness that you haven't got what those people have.Some years ago I knew someone who bought a flash car. After a few glasses at lunchtime he decided to take it out for a proper test drive. In less than a mile he was under arrest for driving under the influence.
More recently I met someone who bought a 3 series BMW because it was one of a small number of cars suitable for his superior driving skills. Inside a week he overcooked it on a bend and ended up in a drainage ditch. Because of a previous error of judgement he did not inform his insurance company but spent a couple of thousand putting it back on the road.
Any other stories?
The guy arrested for DUI was borderline but you had to put that he had a 'flash car' which shouldn't factor in. A DUI is a DUI and if you are in an A1 or in an Aventador it shouldn't make a difference.
CardinalFang said:
"It is not sufficient that I succeed. Others must fail". Gore Vidal.
Or possibly Genghis Khan, Iris Murdoch & many others.
CF
Pretty much most Russians.Or possibly Genghis Khan, Iris Murdoch & many others.
CF
"Needless to say, I had the last laugh" etc.
I only allow myself the joy of schadenfreude if someone has been an utter
, if its just a normal person who has suffered a misfortune then I cant do it. When I was a lad in the late 70s / early 80s one of the lads that I played with was excited that his Dad (wealthy solicitor) was picking up his new Porsche 924 that day. Eventually an excited gaggle of small boys spotted said car driving along the road. Only one problem, the dad, who was noted to be a poor driver, had hit a wall driving out of the showroom and the front bumper was in the boot!
Not sure if it was gloating.
Working in an office I had a flaming row with the office managers girlfriend which got me fired.
About a week later I get a phone call asking where a particular important file was because they couldn't find it, and one of their top clients was on his way to see it and if it wasn't found they risked losing the account.
I hit an 11 on the smugness scale with my reply;
"Sorry, I don't work for you anymore" D:
Working in an office I had a flaming row with the office managers girlfriend which got me fired.
About a week later I get a phone call asking where a particular important file was because they couldn't find it, and one of their top clients was on his way to see it and if it wasn't found they risked losing the account.
I hit an 11 on the smugness scale with my reply;
"Sorry, I don't work for you anymore" D:
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