BEETHOVEN AND TRUMP
There is no word in the English language for schadenfreude – a German word that translates to “joy in the misfortune of others.”
British writer Alistair Cooke calls schadenfreude "an unworthy emotion, which may be why we don't admit to it by having a word in English."
Yet only saints don’t feel or enjoy schadenfreude. This is particularly so when we feel the misfortune and misery of others is deserved. That’s why audiences cheer when the villain in a movie gets his in the end.
Or how about this news: Oregon Official Who Persecuted Christian Bakers Loses Election. Don’t you feel like shouting, “Hallelujah!”?
That’s why it’s fun to see celebrities and college crybabies going bananas protesting Trump’s landslide victory. They hate America, want to see it ruined, and fully deserve all the heartache and despair they’re feeling.
Right? However…
Even though schadenfreude is fun to feel, we don’t want it to linger in our hearts. The longer it lingers, the more corrosive it is to our souls. Okay, laugh at the losers, but then start feeling something better. What would that be?
Let’s look to Beethoven for the answer.









