The 19th-century German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer once described schadenfreude as an expression of envy or resentment — the taking of malicious pleasure in another person's misery. Many people know the sensation well: it arises when misfortune strikes someone, especially a person who seems to have it all.

Although the word circulates widely in the United States — it appeared in more than 300 newspapers in a single year — English has no exact equivalent. The feeling is nonetheless familiar: one smirks secretly when a colleague is passed over for a coveted promotion and raise, when a self-centered businessman is sent to jail, or when a preening, arrogant politician loses a reelection bid. Behind such moments lies a deep, hidden delight, or open public scorn, at another's failure.

The enduringly popular film Citizen Kane feeds that appetite, giving audiences the desire to see the mighty fall. The etymology is blunt: Schaden means damage and Freude means joy. The emotion, observers suggest, is part of human nature — a sense of envy that is hard to erase. That a German loanword has found so wide a readership in American print suggests the feeling needed naming, even where the language never supplied a native term.

Justice at the core

If Schopenhauer cast the emotion as envy's offspring, later researchers have examined whether it might sometimes serve a social purpose. John Portmann, a social psychologist, argues that the sentiment can sometimes be justified. In his book When Bad Things Happen to Other People, he explains that law-abiding citizens can feel vindicated when lawbreakers are punished, and that hard workers may feel satisfaction when the rich — those who flaunt and misspend wealth they did not toil for — are brought down a peg or disgraced.

"Anytime you care about justice you are going to pre-dispose yourself to feeling schadenfreude," Portmann said. "A sense of justice is at the heart of schadenfreude," added the associate theology professor in Kentucky.

Richard Smith, another researcher of the phenomenon, studied schadenfreude in the context of social comparison — the way people's perception of where they rank relative to others shapes how they behave and think. The more enviable a person becomes, the more likely others are to feel schadenfreude toward them. According to Mr. Smith, envying a person breeds a feeling of inferiority; when someone is disliked and their success seems undeserved, their stumble becomes a source of gladness.

As a sentiment, schadenfreude is passive and relatively harmless; malice, by contrast, is active hatred. Yet those who frequently savor others' misfortunes may do so at their own peril. Habitual pleasure at someone else's expense takes a toll on "who we are as moral people." Insincere shows of sympathy for the fallen do not help — crocodile tears are useless. "The private recognition of our hypocrisy, together with frequent pleasure," can lead a person to conclude that they are morally challenged.

The fall of a diva

Martha Stewart, the domestic diva, personified the phenomenon — a real-world illustration of the dynamics of envy and perceived deserved downfall that Portmann and Smith describe. Her personal power, wealth, success and hauteur had placed her above others. Then in 2005 she was accused of insider trading, and when she fell, much of the public believed she deserved to serve time in prison. She survived the crisis and turned it into a personal triumph, teaching others and sharing her skills while in confinement — in a facility that looked more like a comfortable country club.

Children are more adept at expressing schadenfreude than adults. When a child laughs at another who falls, it is often an expression of curiosity — a way of gauging how the other children will react. As people grow up, they learn to hide the impulse. Still, one person's justice is another's outrage. On Sept. 11, 2001, after the terrorist attacks, TV viewers were shocked by CNN video of a few Palestinians dancing in the streets, celebrating the misfortune that had befallen the United States. "Our notions of good and bad change all the time," Portmann said, "to even a single culture."

Becoming "schaden-proof"

Portmann offers several tips for becoming "schaden-proof":

1. Avoid doing things that make people envy you in a hostile way. It is hard to feel nasty about someone who is likeable and modest.
2. If you hold a position of power and superiority, it does not hurt your image to make a few inconsequential mistakes. Doing so takes the edge off the invidious impact you might have on others and allows them a little pleasure at your expense. If you enjoy certain advantages, let people know you earned them through hard work and the ability to overcome disadvantages; if not, show gratitude and humility.
3. Express sympathy often to those who are suffering around you. It builds a bank account of goodwill — when misfortune strikes you, those you helped will repay the investment you made in them when they were down.

"Rare. Very rare is the diva who can stay loved up on the pedestal forever," the essay concludes. "The exceptions are Princess Diana, James Dean, and Marilyn Monroe. It helps to die young."

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Maria Victoria Rufino is an artist, writer and businesswoman. She is president and executive producer of Maverick Productions and can be reached at mavrufino@gmail.com. This commentary was originally published BusinessWorld.