Late one evening, a video goes viral. Someone slips, someone fails, someone is humiliated in public. Millions watch. Many scroll past. Some laugh. Some share. And a few feel something unsettlingly close to pleasure. This reaction is not new, but in the age of social media, it has become impossible to ignore. The question is uncomfortable yet important: why do some people enjoy the pain of others?
Psychologists call this behavior schadenfreude, a German term that means taking pleasure in another person’s misfortune. At its core, it is not always about cruelty. Often, it is rooted in comparison. When people feel insecure, powerless, or unseen, witnessing someone else fall can momentarily restore a sense of balance. In their mind, another person’s loss becomes proof that they are not alone in their struggle. This reaction is more common during times of stress, inequality, or social pressure, which explains why it thrives in competitive environments and online spaces.
There is also a deeper emotional layer. Some people carry unresolved anger, rejection, or emotional neglect. Instead of processing these feelings in healthy ways, they project them outward. Watching someone else suffer gives them a temporary release, a false sense of control. This is not strength; it is emotional avoidance. The brain rewards this reaction with a short burst of dopamine, similar to what happens during gossip, outrage, or online shaming. The relief is brief, but the habit can become addictive.
Social media intensifies this behavior. Algorithms amplify conflict, embarrassment, and controversy because pain captures attention. When suffering becomes content, empathy slowly erodes. Over time, repeated exposure to others’ pain can desensitize people, making cruelty feel normal and compassion feel optional. This is how mockery turns into culture, and silence turns into approval. What starts as curiosity can quietly evolve into enjoyment.
Yet, not everyone reacts this way. People with strong emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and empathy are less likely to find pleasure in others’ pain. They understand that suffering is not a competition. They recognize that today’s viral failure could be tomorrow’s personal crisis. The difference lies in how people process their own pain. Those who face it tend to soften. Those who suppress it often harden.
Understanding why some people enjoy the pain of others is not about excusing the behavior. It is about recognizing a mirror. A society that rewards humiliation will produce spectators who cheer it. The real question then becomes more personal and more powerful: what do we choose to feed, empathy or ego? The answer shapes not only our online behavior, but the kind of humans we become.