The psychologist explained the reasons for the joy of other people's failures

​​​​​​Satisfaction from other people's failures is associated with mechanisms of social competition and protection of self-esteem. Psychologist Tatiana Smirnova told Izvestia about this on April 7, explaining what processes underlie such a reaction.

The expert noted that such a reaction is formed as a result of social comparison and the desire to reduce the feeling of threat. As part of observations of human behavior, psychologists record that when rivals make mistakes, a person can feel more confident and secure.

"If the opponent makes a mistake, we feel safer.": It's like, "I'm not worse." It also restores self—esteem, especially if the person previously felt less successful," the specialist explained.

However, such a reaction does not always indicate latent aggression. In some cases, smiling or laughing at someone else's failure can be an automatic protective reaction of the psyche aimed at reducing internal tension.

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"Automatically smiling at someone else's failure may be an automatic reaction <...> It is quite possible that this is not a sign of a bad character, but may arise as a protective function of the psyche, as a relief of tension, rather than joy," the expert clarified.

At the same time, regular enjoyment of other people's problems may indicate aggressive personality traits and decreased empathy. In such cases, we are no longer talking about a defensive reaction, but about a destructive attitude.

The specialist added that it is important to distinguish between healthy competition and striving for other people's failures. In the first case, a person is focused on their own growth, whereas in the second case, they are focused on the failures of others. According to the psychologist, if attention constantly shifts to other people's mistakes and is accompanied by satisfaction, this can be an alarming signal and a reason to seek professional help.

Clinical psychologist Daria Salnikova told on March 5 how to assess the stability of her self-esteem. She noted that the only truly reliable support is not in external circumstances, but inside the person himself. According to the expert, in unstable times, many people wonder what they can rely on, because money can become worthless, work can disappear, and relationships can end.

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