Dirty Little Secret #5. The Germans have a single word for this less-than-noble emotion: taking pleasure in the misfortune of others. But when I glide past bumper-to-bumper traffic I have to grin. And I’m not even German.
About the Bike Commute Diaries: In honor of National Bike Month, I’m sharing 31 short, sweet and surprising things I’ve discovered about bike commuting, one for each day in May. Happy National Bike Month!
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fiedlerin
May 31, 2012 at 4:15 am
Schadenfreude – schoenste Freude… means Schadenfreude is the best joy… we (Germans) are a mean bunch :)
fiedlerin
May 31, 2012 at 4:16 am
Oh, and when I pass cars like that I always have to think of the beginning of “Office Space” when they are stuck on the road and get passed by and elderly woman with a walker.
ladyfleur
May 31, 2012 at 7:03 am
It’s not that Germans are mean, they just understand human nature. Having a single work for this emotion makes it easy to call people out on their bad behavior.
fiedlerin
May 31, 2012 at 12:05 pm
Well, maybe not mean, but when I moved to the States I found that people are a lot more friendly and open. I am sure that varies by region, though.