For those of us that are unfamiliar with the term Schadenfreude, it is when a person takes pleasure in the failure of another person.

Schadenfreude can also be, and usually is, a personal experience. For instance, you have labored for years as an artist and you know someone has had a taste of success on a level above where you currently exist and you harbor a bit of competitive resentment. Then one day you hear about how he or she got drunk at an art opening and insulted a prominent critic or affluent supporter of the arts.

This type of Schadenfreude is so palpable and delicious that you could drizzle it over pancakes and enjoy with your morning coffee.

Who really carries around such feelings of negativity about another person and are happy about the complete and total failure of another person? Well, we all do. That includes your next-level uncle Phil who teaches a healing-crystal class at the Yoga center. Even the most balanced of us take a frown and turn it upside down when we hear about a rival, or more likely a close friend, falling flat on their faces. It makes us feel better to know that even the most accomplished of us can fail.

There is a balance you must maintain though. If you start to live in the shadows you will start to become the shadow. If you find yourself late at night stalking a person on Facebook for some kernel of Schadenfreude, you probably should take a step back.

Start watching some funny videos of cats.

Go ahead and Google that and let me know if you have struck the balance.