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Episode 2673:

Dr. Lisa Hoplock explores how the misfortunes of same-gender friends, particularly those viewed as romantic rivals, can trigger feelings of schadenfreude. While this reaction may signal subconscious competition in the mating arena, the research reveals that such glee doesn't necessarily change how we view our own or others’ mate value. Listeners are invited to reflect on what these moments of quiet satisfaction might reveal about their own insecurities and social comparisons.

Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.luvze.com/happiness-at-the-misfortune-of-mate-rivals/

Quotes to ponder:

"It’s common to laugh at someone’s slight misfortune, and we’re more likely to do it when it happens to a same-gender friend than an opposite-gender friend."

"Participants felt greater happiness at the misfortune of same-gender friends than they did for opposite-gender friends."

"Even though women experienced more schadenfreude after imagining that their friend gained 15 pounds, they didn’t rate themselves as having a higher mate value than their friend in this scenario."

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