THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOUR FRIENDS AND YOUR ENEMIES

I have always liked this quote. Some people say that it came from Lou Brock and others say if came from Johnny Sain. In my eyes, whoever said it is was very wise. However, I would adapt it just a bit. "Your friends don't want to hear about the labor pains, they just want to see the baby while your enemies don't want see the baby, they just want to hear about your labor pains!"

In other words, friends tend to rejoice in your success while enemies tend to rejoice in your failures. In that case, as my mother used to say, "If you can't say anything nice about people, don't say anything at all!"

The Scriptures seem to support my mother's point of view and even go further. "Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles." (Book of Proverbs 24:17) "Do not gloat over the day of your brother in the day of his misfortune; do not rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their ruin; do not boast in the day of distress. (Book of Obadiah 1:12) Jesus warned us against that tendency when he taught us to "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." (Luke 6:27-28)

The word for all this refusal-to-bless others is the word "schadenfreude" meaning the experience of pleasure or self-satisfaction that comes from learning of or witnessing the troubles, failures, pain or humiliation of another. It has been detected in children as young as 24 months.

    

Tooltip literal translatio the experience of pleasure, joy, or self-satisfaction that comes from learning of or witnessing the troubles, failures, pain, or humiliation of another. It is a borrowed word from German, the English word for it is "epicaricacy", that originated in the 18th century. Schadenfreude has been detected in children as young as 24 months and may be an important social emotion establishing "inequity aversion".^[1] is the experience of pleasure, joy, or self-satisfaction that comes from learning of or witnessing the troubles, failures, pain, or humiliation of another. It is a borrowed word from German, the English word for it is "epicaricacy", that originated in the 18th century. Schadenfreude has been detected in children as young as 24 months and may be an important social emotion establishing "inequity aversion".^[1]

Brothers enjoying a good laugh at another Brother during his difficulties. 

 

TAKE THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED

TRY TO BE KIND TO FRIEND AND ENEMY ALIKE IF AT ALL POSSIBLE