Study: Men Enjoy Seeing Bad People Suffer

[superconnected]

NEW YORK - Bill Clinton said he felt others' pain. But a new brain-scanning study suggests that when guys see a cheater get a mild electric shock, they don't feel his pain much at all. In fact, they rather enjoy it.

In contrast, women's brains showed they do empathize with the cheater's pain and don't get a kick out it.

It's not clear whether this difference in schadenfreude — enjoyment of another's misfortune — results from basic biology or sex roles learned during life, researchers say. But it could help explain why men have historically taken charge of punishing criminals and others who violate societal rules, said researcher Dr. Klaas Stephan.

Stephan, a senior research fellow at the University College London, is co-author of a study led by Tania Singer at the college and published online Wednesday by the journal Nature.

more...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060118/ap_on_sc/schadenfreude_study

[superconnected]

1. I've been saying for years that men do not have the same

empathy level as women. I consider empathy part of emotional intelligence. It's why I see men try to hit the cats when driving though my complexes parking lot and I've never seen women do that.

Sure there are exceptions to the rule, but gawd, nice someone finally documented the problem.

[RagingInMiami]

5. What's wrong with wanting to see bad people suffer?

I don't know about the thing with the cats, but I wish the worst on Bush and his cronies.

[jobycom]

13. Read Carol Gilligan's "In a Different Voice" for a Freudian explanation

Basically, she argues that men are raised by women whom they must one day reject as their role model (due to cultural reasons), which gives them a more extreme sense of justice, whereas women, also raised by women, never have to reject their role model/caregiver, so they develop a stronger sense of compassion (That's an oversimplified summary, it's makes more sense in its entirety).

To me, it's all cultural, and even within the culture it's far from absolute. But I'm not a psychologist, so no one cares what I think. :-)

[TheWraith]

16. Excuse me?

I love cats. And yes, I'm pleased when bad people get what's coming to them. I'm a big believer in karma. But don't use that to make me and all other men out to be raving psychopaths.

[Posteritatis]

25. Mmm, thinly-veiled misandry. (n/t)

[donco6]

2. I must admit . . .

.. . the idea of Bush and electroshock gives me a bit of a chuckle.

[jobycom]

3. Great. Another study to create stereotypes and confuse my own gender

identity. Well, I mean, I can tell which gender I am rather easily, but according to all these stereotypes, I can't tell which I'm supposed to be.

[acmejack]

9. Let's sue!

I definitely feel traumatized, don't you? I hear John Edwards is available...

[superconnected]

10. Just don't commit human attrocties or attrocities to animals

then women like me won't point and say, see, another man hurting someone/some animal that is helpless. And then talling the score something like several billion to 5.

[jobycom]

20. Gender stereotypes are like all others--you find traits you look for.

On the animal atrocities, for instance, I'm a vegetarian, I just spent $3K I didn't have and a lot of time each day for two months to save a ten year old cat, and in the past year I've also risked my safety to rescue two German Shepards who almost attacked me for my efforts. My wife is a carnivore, is constantly threatening to poison our pets (and might have a while back), and once squashed a spider I had made a pet of, just to hurt me. Yet people assume the opposite. When we used to go to restaurants together (we're separated), she'd order a steak and I'd order the vegetarian option, and the server would always reverse these.

People see what they are looking for, and that's no more valid a way of treating genders than treating races or sexual preferences. Be sure you use the same standards to judge women as you use to judge men, and you'll be on the right track.

Better, avoid all stereotypes and judge people on their actions, and you'll be amazed at how different the world looks.

[phaseolus]

4. Obvious

It's why capital punishment has such great support in some circles -- lots of people want to see other people dead, not because justice is being done but rather because they ENJOY it.

[superconnected]

7. you're probably right.

I never considered they would enjoy it. Yuuck.

[phaseolus]

12. most probably wouldn't admit it, even to themselves, but

...some peoples' delight when executions happen is just so obvious...

[Crunchy Frog]

6. Depending on how bad the person is

I enjoy it too. I admit to being highly amused when I read about Karl Rove's kidney stones. I guess maybe that makes me a bad person and not very ladylike.:blush: :evilfrown:

[RaleighNCDUer]

19. Having had kidney stones myself, I wouldn't wish that even on

KKKarl, but there is a side of me that thinks such experiences might help wake him up to other peoples' pain.

Not likely, though.

[Auntie Bush]

22. I too am normally very empathetic...but when hateful/evil /crooked

politicians that are responsible for making life miserable for millions... do a little hurting I don't much give a damn! Dammit

[Akoto]

8. I can't deny, I enjoy seeing cheaters squirm. For example ...

[superconnected]

11. This study probably explains bush and his junta.

Bet if they look further, some men lack all empathy. And a few women like - condolezza.

[Seabiscuit]

14. I suspect the study is accurate....

I also suspect there are far more sadistic men than women - e.g. men who enjoy seeing innocents, including animals suffer. Women in my experience do seem to have, as a whole, more empathy than men.

While I don't enjoy seeing anyone suffer, I do take some mild satisfaction in seeing criminals (especially the sadistic kind - rapists, child molesters, bullies, murderers, etc.) convicted and imprisoned - not because I want to see them feel pain, so much as I want some measure of justice upheld, to at least prevent them from harming others while imprisoned. IOW, I want to see the sadistic men who actually make others suffer taken out of society so that there will be less suffering.

If imprisonment causes such a sadistic criminal to experience pain simply by virtue of his/her imprisonment, I honestly feel no empathy towards him. In this way I may be less empathetic than women as a whole, but I don't think this is a good example of what the study's findings mean. I don't imagine many women would feel empathy towards such a person either.

[applegrove]

15. That is pretty sick.

[Broke In Jersey]

17. Personally, I only enjoy seeing mean people suffer n/t

[TX-RAT]

18. I'll be real honest here.

There have been times in my life when i have taken great pleasure in some peoples suffering. I spent 22 years with the Sheriffs Department, i am personally responsible for some of these peoples suffering. I've seen thieves, rapists, molesters, and murderers, suffer greatly from their actions, and i'm proud to say i put a stop to some of them.

Yep, i'm guilty of taking pleasure in some peoples suffering. No apologies from me.

[oblivious]

21. Was the suffering you inflicted before or after they were proved guilty?

[yellowdogmi]

23. I would probably

experience the greatest joy ever known to man if I got to see * suffer. I can imagine it would be better than sex. Or drugs. Or rock n roll. Please I've been good all year.
:bounce:

[Celebration]

24. Women may be more passive aggressive

Does anyone secretly delight that another certain person goes to the beach on vacation and it rains every day? I *think* I am over that now but there were times in my life where I have to admit that I felt that way about a few people.

What are the statistics on males and females on attitude toward capital punishment? Some men hear of a horrible crime and all they can think of is getting even, vengeance, etc. I tend to think, "Good grief that person was actually once a newborn baby with a mother. How could it have gone so wrong?"