What Are You Excited About?
Hit reply and let me know, I want to join in your excitement.
I’m still reviewing the results from last week’s survey (there’s still time to fill it out!)… but I wanted to share something I recently learned about.
Here at HTW (that’s my company, Humor That Works), we’ve been working for the last few months (eh, years) on a brand new Humor Intelligence report that will be launching in the next few weeks.
While doing research for it, and making some adjustments to my keynote to coincide with it, I came across a term I had never heard before:
freudenfreude — finding pleasure in another person’s good fortune
It’s a fantastic concept, to find joy in other people’s joy is a wonderful sentiment and something that we (hopefully) do with our friends.
Seemingly the opposite of schadenfraude (pleasure derived by someone from another person’s misfortune), I was impressed that German had covered both angles of fraude.
Schadenfreude und Fredenfreude
So, naturally, I asked Pretzel (my German wife) about it. Here’s how that conversation went:
Me: Hey, why didn’t you ever tell me about the word, freudenfreude?
Her: What?
Me: Fredenfreude. Froy-den-froy-duh. Friend-den-fud? I don’t know, I can’t pronounce it.
Her: I have no idea what you’re talking about.
Me: Have you heard of Schadenfreude?
Her: Of course, I have it all the time with you. *smiles*
Me: So you’re just messing with me?
Her: No, I have really never heard that word before. It’s not real.
Me: It was in a NY Times piece a few years ago.
Her: Hold on… (she looks at something on her phone). Nein. I just checked the Der Duden (the authoritative dictionary of the German language) and it’s not there, so it doesn’t exist.
Me: Oh, I thought it was real. It sounds nice.
Her: *laughs*
Me: What?
Her: Sorry, I just had Schadenfreude again.
After a bit of internet searching, I found out she was right (as detailed in this pretty hilarious Slate article). My favorite section:
“First off,” he says, “the doubling makes it sound a little unsophisticated.” This sort of repetition is only common in German when “aimed at or uttered by toddlers,” … “Also,” he says, “Germans are generally not in the habit of showing happiness at another person’s happiness.” Indeed, the phrase schön für dich (“good for you”) is “predominantly used sarcastically.”
But no matter, for I have found an English word for the term, “confelicity,” which also doesn’t seem to exist despite it being written about on BBC…
Despite the fact that neither word “truly” exists (at least in offical dictionaries), the concept seems to have some scientific backing.
So, all of that is to say:
What are you currently excited about?
I want to find pleasure in your good fortunes so we can both be happier for it, even if there’s no real word to describe it. Leave a comment or hit reply and let me know!
Wit regards,
-Andrew
PS. My Annual Humor Survey to find out what will best help you in 2026 is live. It’s just 8 questions and should take about 3–4 minutes.
Love the detective work on freudenfreude turning out to be a made-up word, especially the bit about Germans not being in the habit of showing happiness at others'happiness. The whole conversation with Pretzel is priceless and kind of validates the point that even without an official term, the concept matters. I've actualy started noticing how much easier it is to feel genuinely happy for people when theyre excited about something specific rather than vague good news.
Im beyond excited. I have huge problems with the psych industry, dont get me started, although its what I studied thinking I was going to work with children. Disillusioned I finished my degree and took a friend up on his offer to come assist him on one of his river adventures as he knows me from coming back after a awesome morning out on the open ocean with my dad. Still wet we'd carry our surf ski's from the water about 20 meters onto the patch of grass opposite the coffee shop where Dylan worked. And so, we became friends. I need a 'hanty' he'd say very 'Britishly' although he isn't. So I went up to the Orange river for what was supposed to be a week. Years later I'd return as a fully qualified unrestricted trip leader, living the dream, from one river to the next, just adventure guiding across Southern Africa, if we were alive, we paddled at 5... I noticed something deeper though. Eventually it got to glaring to ignore and I started making notes during and after every trip, sometimes daily... I'd come to learn I was noticing the effects of what is known as Experiential psychology, more specifically these observations will become the methods and strategies employed. Once I finish the only Outdoor and Adventure Therapy training program available in Africa -aimed at trained professionals. My application to create a Experiential psych governing body of South-Africa was approved - I got the news couple of hours ago. Nature is free and I am stoked I might fill a deep need for mental health support and be in a position where I can maybe create an opportunity or 2. Anywho. it was a long and super frustrating journey. Now the actual hard work staarts. But ya, thats what Im excited about - o AND "co-insidentily" of course - it was also Dylans' birthday today... curious. anywho - I had no one to tell so thanks for reading. And for your excellent sub, I dont normally read them but when I do get a chance. Always a good read.