[post_page_title]Why we laugh[/post_page_title]
The reason stupid people who don’t know they’re stupid are so funny is rooted in the German language, and one of its more brilliant phrases. We’ve all heard of “schadenfreude” – or glee derived from someone else’s misfortune – but have you heard of “fremdscham”? That delightful German saying describes secondhand embarrassment, meaning feeling shame at someone else’s actions. That feeling – often called the “cringe factor” – has been used numerous time to get a laugh out of us recently, but the basic premise of Dunning and Kruger has existed for ages. Don’t believe us? Read on.
