Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Schadenfreude

Schadenfreude means to derive pleasure from the misfortune of others.  The word is German and is there is not an English word that directly translates from it.  Does this mean that the Germans are crueler than people from other countries? Probably not, but the fact that they “have a word for it” should be some indication of its history. Interestingly, English speakers are using it more and more as well.

            The first time I ever saw the word used by an American was on an album cover by the artist Ovis. I’m not positive that he intended the album to show the exact meaning of the word or if he just thought it was a good album title. It may have been that he used it to show how the media (and the rest of the world) love to see others fail. In fact, we see this more in entertainment media than anywhere else.  Magazines like the National Enquirer and sites like TMZ make obscene profits from Schadenfreude, and we are all-too happy to indulge in the secrets and failings of those more famous than we.

            Now, thanks to Youtube, we are also entertaining ourselves in the failings of strangers. Some of the videos with the most views on the internet are those where someone embarrasses him or herself for everyone to see, laugh at, and now, make comments.  In what can almost be described as an instance of uber-schadenfreude, “Epic Fail” videos on Youtube amass millions of views. Some are even broken down into “Redneck Fails” or “News Anchor Fails.”  These videos put the worst of “America’s Funniest Videos” at our fingertips for instant viewings of people falling off bikes or through coffee tables. If you’ve ever seen Tosh.0, you know exactly where to find this kind of Schadenfreude.

            Why are we so attracted to failure in others? Is it to feel better about ourselves, or could it be than we can learn from it? Certainly Schadenfreude is as much of a sin as envy or pride. Surely being sadistic is just one step up (or down) from being “Schadenfreudistic.” And why is it that we can be more comfortable with Schadenfreude than, say, Mudita (the Buddhist concept of sympathetic joy – or being happy for another’s good fortune)?  Studies have shown that subjects are more likely to feel Shadenfreude for someone who they see as arrogant.  Perhaps the moral lesson in all of this is that we long to see justice or karma at work.

            Of course, watching a video of a stranger falling through a coffee table has nothing to do with karma. How could we ever know or feel if any of those people deserve ridicule? And who are we to ever decide such things in the first place?  When we laugh at strangers, we embarrass ourselves more than the poor victim of circumstance. And just as it is better to be envied than envious, it is ultimately better to be the butt of a joke than to be the one laughing.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Fun with the OED - Integrity

Integrity is something that gets mentioned alot these days. In its most moral definition, integrity means to be free from corruption  - to be innocent, sinless. It's much easier to define it than it is to live it.

The Oxford English Dictionary states that the first person to use "integrity" in English print is the Calvinist, Thomas Norton. Here is the general paraphrase of the quote from 1561: In this integrity, may had free will, whereby he might have attained eternal life. (I think this is a Calvin translation.)

It's funny that Thomas Norton has the distinction of the first person to use the word in print considering that he was famous for torturing and killing Catholics on the RACK (Yes, they were literally stretched to death.).  In fact, he was so prolific at killing people, he earned the name RACKMASTER General. Eventually he ended up in jail (in London Tower) for what equalled crimes against humanity. 









Monday, February 6, 2012

Examples from "Formula for Making a Thesis Statement"



In an earlier post I gave a formula for making a thesis statement. This formula helps you make a thesis statement that contains your position, a qualifier, and why you are correct despite the qualifier. I have my students practice this a few times with silly thesis positions. When each student has constructed two statements, I then put them in groups to construct a Super Thesis from the work they've already done.

Here are a few examples of the results from the class activity Formula For Making A Thesis Statement:

A.J.
Position: Behemoth is the best metal band.
Thesis statement:
Although many people like listening to mainstream garbage artists who have less talent than a baby getting it's diaper changed, Behemoth stamps on the faces of all the famous frauds who call themselves musicians; and therefore, Behemoth is the best metal band.

Josh
Position: Ms. Whiddon is evil
Thesis statement:
Ms. Whiddon says she wants to help us, but she only gave us 10 minutes to write two thesis statements and therefore, Ms. Whiddon is evil.

Caitlin
Position: The Internet should be monitored by the CIA.
Thesis statement:
Even though the Internet is a great way to express yourself, there are those who abuse it for their selfish reasons and could harm others which is why the Internet should be monitored by the CIA.

Devon
Position: SpongeBob invented the stapler.
Thesis statement:
Even though SpongeBob's world seems modern, Sandy's world seems old-fashioned, making it plausible that SpongeBob invented the stapler.

Levi
Position: Zombies smell like cheddar cheese.
Thesis statement:
Although Zombies are made of rotten flesh, everyone including Zombies, loves cheddar cheese and the lack of flesh exposes previously consumed cheese making Zombies smell like cheddar cheese.

Connor
Position: Teddy Bears make great murder weapons.
Thesis:
Although guns are efficient killing machines, teddy bears kill more people annually, therefore teddy bears make great murder weapons.

Group Thesis statements:

Group 1
Combination of the following positions:
1. Lady Gaga is evil.
2. Zombies smell like burning poo.
3. Zombies smell like cheddar cheese.
4. Hipsters are evil.
5. Justin Bieber is a robot.
6. Behemoth is the best metal band.

Thesis:
Against the popular belief that Lindsey Lohan was the first Zombie celebrity, we have specific evidence that during the Zombie apocalypse, Lady Gaga was the first to turn into a zombie that smells like burning poo and cheddar cheese while the alien hipsters were listening to a robotic Justin Bieber
trying to impersonate Behemoth.



Group 2
Combination of the following positions:
1. Ms. Whiddon is evil.
2. Teddy Bears make great murder weapons.
3. Ice cubes cause cancer.

Thesis:
Although Ms. Whiddon appears to be an outstanding citizen in society, as she has founded the Teddy Bear foundation; Ms. Whiddon is actually a master villain who puts cancerous ice cubes in fish tanks and sells teddy bears that explode and kill people.


I have the groups compete against each other at the end for prizes. This is a fun classroom experience for me and the students. Here is the ORIGINAL POST on how to construct thesis statements.