It’s uncomfortable to admit, but sometimes people feel a quiet satisfaction when others struggle or fail. Whether it’s a rival’s setback, a celebrity’s fall from grace, or even a friend’s minor misfortune, there’s a part of human nature that finds reassurance in the failures of others.

This reaction isn’t always rooted in cruelty. Often, it comes from insecurity, comparison, and a desire to reaffirm one’s own place in the world.

1. Comparison is Inevitable

Human beings constantly compare themselves to others. It’s how we judge progress, measure success, and form identity. When someone else wins, it can make us feel behind. When they stumble, it can feel like a leveling of the field. Their failure becomes a subtle reassurance that we’re not alone in our imperfection.

This kind of comparison fuels a hidden relief—if someone smarter, more attractive, or more successful fails, then our own struggles feel less shameful.

2. It Validates Our Choices

Sometimes we feel unsure about the path we’ve chosen. Seeing others fail in a different direction can validate our own decisions. If a person who took risks gets burned, it confirms that playing it safe was smart. If someone who broke the rules faces consequences, it reassures us that following them was the right move.

It’s not that we truly want others to suffer—it’s that their setbacks can quiet the doubts we carry.

3. Envy Disguised as Justice

People often label their negative feelings as moral judgments. If someone we envy fails, we might convince ourselves they deserved it. We call it karma, fairness, or accountability. But sometimes it’s just masked envy.

Watching others fall can give us a temporary sense of moral superiority, especially when we feel overlooked or unrecognized ourselves.

4. It Creates a False Sense of Security

When others struggle, it can create the illusion that we’re more secure than we really are. Their downfall distracts us from our own problems. It creates a buffer between us and our fears about failure. It allows us to think, even briefly, that we’re doing better than we really are.

This temporary comfort, though shallow, is seductive.

5. Schadenfreude Is Real

There’s a word for this feeling: schadenfreude. It’s the pleasure derived from someone else’s misfortune. It exists in every culture and has evolutionary roots. In competitive environments, another’s loss could be your gain. Social hierarchies have always influenced survival. Feeling pleased when a competitor stumbles may have once served a functional purpose.

That instinct still lingers, even when we know better.

6. We Crave Humbling Moments

When someone is highly successful, overly confident, or seemingly untouchable, many people wait for them to be humbled. It’s not always rooted in hatred. Sometimes it’s a desire for balance. People want to see that no one is immune to reality. That no one lives above consequence. A stumble humanizes them.

It reminds us that life applies to everyone.

7. It Offers a Break from Our Own Pain

If you’re struggling, it’s easier to look outward than inward. Focusing on someone else’s mistakes or suffering provides a distraction. It shifts the emotional weight from your own shoulders. The downside is, it never truly heals what’s broken inside.

Final Thought

Liking when things go wrong for others isn’t something most people are proud of. But it’s a shadow that lives in nearly everyone. The goal is not to deny it, but to understand it. To notice when it shows up, ask what it’s feeding, and rise above it.

True strength is being able to see someone fall and feel compassion, not relief. Because our worth doesn’t come from being better than others. It comes from becoming better than we were.