Glad for another's misfortune... or instead happy for another's success

[wworld]

The title is odd odd, but hopefully it will make sense after what I’m about to say.

I was watching a short-ish documentary on the Wright brothers the other day. That’s fine. But when a big scientific doctor tried beating them to controlled flight, I hoped his flying machine would fail. Not because I wanted people to get hurt (nobody did), not because I wanted him to be humiliated, but because I wanted the Wright brothers, two lowly brothers who ran a bike shop, to get the credit. Is this situation a sin against Charity? My thoughts wouldn’t have changed the outcome of this event from a long time ago, but I’d like to know

 

[Zsofia_A]

I think it is somewhat sinful…because you focus on other human beings with negative thoughts and feelings, the intention is what matters not the outcome.
Maybe just wishing success for the Wright brothers would have been better

Just my 2 cents

 

[Salvatore123]

There is an actually a name for this type of thinking (although it does not sound exactly like your situation): “schadenfreude”.

It refers to pleasure derived from the misfortune of others.

It is quite common, and I am sorry to admit that I have experienced that feeling from time to time.

 

[valentino]

I not really sure why you would prefer the Wright Bros.to succeed.Do you feel that the doctor since he was schooled had a advantage over the bros?There is nothing wrong in hoping a disadvantaged individual to succeed over a less fortunate one if this is your reasoning but are you sure that the bros.had to work harder to achieve the same accomplishment?

 

[wild_thing]

Gee, I don’t know- it only sounds as if you are rooting for the underdog to me, and how could that be bad? You weren’t hoping the other guy would get hurt or humilated. It’s kind of like hoping the Yankees will lose the World Series- type of thing. You don’t hope they get soda cans and rotten tomatoes thrown at them after the game, or for some player to get killed or something- you just want your team to win! Now, how is that wrong?