Delighting in Misery

LetYouDown · #1 09-30-2005, 02:07 PM

Lately I've been playing a lot more B&M, and I'll occasionally sit at a $1/2 NL table if they don't have anything higher. It's fun for me, and the money isn't a concern. Last night this kid sat down at my table and bought in short for $40. He then proceeded (after he sat down), to pop his collar. It took every ounce of willpower I had to not laugh. Then he waited until his first hand was dealt, and he put his sunglasses on. These were fake ray bans that cost no more than $10. To each his own on the eyewear and the cost wasn't the issue...just that they looked cheap and from the 80's.

About two hands later, he called an all in on a board with 3 spades because he had his sunglasses on and misread his hand as two spades instead of a spade/club. He flipped them over and said "flush!" and "repopped" his collar. He was dismayed when he learned the news. I laughed directly at him and for some reason just couldn't stop for over a minute. I couldn't even look away. I'm normally not an overly jovial person, and I'm working on that...but I typically take delight in this. For some reason I felt bad afterward, because it was obvious the guy caught a few episodes of WPT and was playing with most, or all of his bankroll. He seemed to be completely unaware of why I was laughing and took offense to it.

The real question here is why do I delight in other peoples' misery? I find it incredibly necessary to tell people that they look like morons. On the surface, this sounds like a self-confidence issue, but I'm reasonably self-assured. It often borders between wanting to laugh at them and wanting to inform them quietly that they look ridiculous.

Autocratic · #2 09-30-2005, 03:59 PM

I sometimes feel like I should inform douche bags of their douche baggery. Perhaps I feel like I am a normal guy, and they are just making a scene by popping their collar and acting ridiculous. It HAS to be a weird superiority complex of some sort, but why dwell on it? Making fun of douche bags is way too fun of a problem to try to fix.

#3 09-30-2005, 04:03 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Making fun of douche bags is way too fun of a problem to try to fix.

[/ QUOTE ]

Agreed. People need to learn how stupid they look and if they obviously don't own a mirror or have friends to inform them of their actions/attire, they should be mocked.

Vancity82 · #4 09-30-2005, 04:15 PM

"Delighting in Misery" = Insecure loner looking for friends who share the same affliction and want to bask in the embarrassment of others to reassure themselves of their "greatness" while only looking like even bigger jackass's then the "douchebags" they are berating.

#5 09-30-2005, 04:16 PM

[ QUOTE ]
"Delighting in Misery" = Insecure loner looking for friends who share the same affliction and want to bask in the embarrassment of others to reassure themselves of their "greatness" while only looking like even bigger jackass's then the "douchebags" they are berating.

[/ QUOTE ]

Are you saying that you wouldn't have laughed at the guy?

Autocratic · #6 09-30-2005, 04:17 PM

[ QUOTE ]
"Delighting in Misery" = Insecure loner looking for friends who share the same affliction and want to bask in the embarrassment of others to reassure themselves of their "greatness" while only looking like even bigger jackass's then the "douchebags" they are berating.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sounds like the words of a douche bag that's been berated one too many times.

/jest

LetYouDown · #7 09-30-2005, 04:20 PM

[ QUOTE ]
"Delighting in Misery" = Insecure loner looking for friends who share the same affliction and want to bask in the embarrassment of others to reassure themselves of their "greatness" while only looking like even bigger jackass's then the "douchebags" they are berating.

[/ QUOTE ]
Your opinion, however generalizing, is noted. I didn't seek this guy out, he came to me. For the previous 2 hours of play, everyone looked well within a stone's throw of normal. I wasn't the only one who thought he looked like an idiot, but I didn't point it out to anyone either. I didn't say a word, I just couldn't prevent myself from laughing. I didn't embarrass him at all, I never even vocalized my thoughts. I simply laughed, at him.

Vancity82 · #8 09-30-2005, 04:23 PM

It's simple, openly embarrising someone who clearly doesn't know what they're doing is simply being a jackass, enough said.

The ability to empathize doesn't need to be derived from experience it simply requires being human.

Vancity82 · #9 09-30-2005, 04:25 PM

Your post didn't quite bother me so much as the replies. It happens to everyone, guess I had to be there.

#10 09-30-2005, 04:33 PM

[ QUOTE ]
It often borders between wanting to laugh at them and wanting to inform them quietly that they look ridiculous.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, next time maybe try the latter...you will come off as a much nicer person and actually feel good about yourself. People often would rather mock than try to help someone...too many years of Saturday Night Live and bad stand up comics who can only mock others to get a laugh. Also, you don't really know how someone will react - they may get defensive or hostile - but at least you can say you tried.