The word of the month for January is “freudenfreude.” Freudenfreude, as explained in this New York Times article, is the opposite of schadenfreude.

Whereas schadenfreude is defined as “the pleasure we feel when witnessing someone’s misfortune” (presumably, someone we think deserves their misfortune), freudenfreude is rejoicing in someone else’s happiness.

Freudenfreude is associated with numerous benefits:

Erika Weisz, an empathy researcher and postdoctoral fellow in psychology at Harvard University, said the feeling closely resembles positive empathy — the ability to experience someone else’s positive emotions. A small 2021 study examined positive empathy’s role in daily life and found that it propelled kind acts, like helping others. Sharing in someone else’s joy can also foster resilience, improve life satisfaction and help people cooperate during a conflict.

To increase freudenfreude in your life, the authors recommend “turn[ing] into a joy spectator” by asking people what’s going well for them or what they’re feeling happy about. If you’re so inclined, feel free to share any good news in the comments. The ADR community is a natural site for freudenfreude, so we would love to hear what is going well for you!

Here’s to more freudenfreude and joy in 2023 🙂