That would be "Schadenfreude". It's a German word meaning getting enjoyment out of someone else's misfortune (there's no English equivalent).Modderxtrordanare wrote:The basics of comedy:
1. If you fall down a well, I'll laugh.
2. If I get a paper-cut, I wont laugh.
Of course, at some point, empathy cuts in. You know when you see something happen to someone else, and you physically wince at the concept - a good example would be seeing someone getting kicked in the crotch, at least to males. (Ok, it hurts as a female too, but to a lesser extent.)
So, it's a case of enjoying other's misfortune, until you actually start to feel it with them.