The   joy of another’s misery

As the Chief started lampooning Vijay, Vinai tittered. Feigning disinterest he looked away, but his ears remained glued to the guttural pleas as the poor wretch cringed under the barrage of choicest invectives. The boss’s cabin literally shook with the action packed show. Its last part was specially watchable as the huge humiliated horrified hunk was verbally slain by the diminutive superior. Seeing his colleague’s slaughtered face and bent back, a smile crept near Vinai’s lips which he wiped away hastily lest his glee be noticed. As he went out of the senior’s room he couldn’t help feeling glad. Vijay was mortified and Vinai was somewhat merry.

Mouse click now to lunchtime. Morosely Vijay took a minute morsel into his melancholic mouth and started masticating moodily. Vinai glanced at his co-worker’s cyclone-hit face and deliberately cursed the officer for being so venomous, thereby bringing a half-smile back to Vijay’s parched lips.

Pausing for a moment to introspect, Vinai wondered what was at the root cause of his feeling gleeful at another’s misery. Why did he feel glad when his colleague was bashed up by their common superior, was the question that agitated him. Why is another’s pain a source of joy for us at times, Vinay’s mental machinery started whirring..

Its not that we are evil-hearted or villainous souls, rather it’s the relief one feels when a colleague (read competitor) is thrashed. Escaping pain equates to peace and happiness. Therefore the joyous countenance appears on one’s face, in thankfulness.

Secondly, we all like to see a pedestrian slipping on a banana peel, or a man’s pant being torn by a chasing raging dog. It signifies an accident or misfortune, and the sickening grimace on the victim’s face is enough to send us into spasms of surreptious laughter.

Thirdly, a dumbstruck tsunami-struck expression appears on a person’s face when he is scolded for no reason. A person gets an almost idiotic expression on his battered face, which the onlookers thoroughly enjoy.

Fourthly, we all enjoy the scene of a good bashing, as oft seen in Hindi films. We side with the hero instinctively , and thoroughly enjoy the annihilation of the other party. It almost feels as though the ‘victory’ is ours.

Vinay had just finished his analytical mental journey, when he heard the Chief holler out for him. As he entered the boss’s room, anticipating a lampooning, to his dismay he saw Vijay sitting inside also, watching and waiting expectantly….