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college of arts & sciences

'The Joy of Pain' Explores Hidden Corner of Human Psyche

Many of us have felt it, though we don't admit it: spiteful joy in response to the pain or misfortune of others. It may stem from envy, self-esteem concerns or even a passion for justice, but whether or not we confess to it, the feeling exists universally. The good news is that psychologists believe these are natural human emotions; there are psychological and adaptive foundations to back them up.

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