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Schadenfreude is a German word that means \\u201charm-joy\\u201d. It is the pleasure we feel from someone else\\u2019s misfortune, and it can come in many shades. It is the laughter we can\\u2019t stifle when someone unexpectedly falls over, or the triumphant pleasure we feel when a rival is defeated. We can also feel it when something bad happens to someone we genuinely like.

Edwina Pitman examines why, even when we\\u2019re happy and successful, we can\\u2019t help but enjoy others\\u2019 bad luck.

Contributors:\\nEsther Walker - journalist\\nDr Tiffany Watt Smith - cultural historian and author of Schadenfreude: The Joy of Another\\u2019s Misfortune\\nProfessor Richard Smith - professor of psychology, University of Kentucky \\nDr Andre Szameitat - reader in psychology, Brunel University\\nAnuvab Pal - Comedian\\nMike Wendling - Editor, BBC Trending

Presented and produced by Edwina Pitman\\nEditor: Richard Knight

(Photo: Cheerful young woman lying on sofa with laptop in modern office lounge. Credit: Getty Images)