The Misfortunes of Friends

Introspect, go beyond your socially conditioned reactions, and touch your inmost senses. You'll probably find, indeed, the same instincts that led the French essayist to say that the misfortunes of friends are not entirely displeasing.

Think of how you felt about:

A friend who scored badly in a test in school.
A friend who failed to land that plump job.
A friend whose business venture failed.
A friend whose kid did not make it into the top school.
A friend who is going to be retrenched.
A friend who failed his interview.
A friend who got rejected by that hunk/babe.

Such is the insecure state of our being. An existence where our self-worth is measured by our success, usually relative to others, and how we are perceived.