Posen mit Worten #4: Litost

Nach längerer Pause ein neuerlicher Eintrag dieser Rubrik. Das heutige Wort ist etwas ganz Besonderes. Ein Wort, das mich schon seit langer Zeit begleitet. Ein Wort, das ich vollkommen nachvollziehen kann. Ein Wort, das ausschließlich in der tschechischen Sprache existiert: Litost

Litost ist ein qualvoller Zustand, der durch den Anblick unserer unvermutet entdeckten Erbärmlichkeit ausgelöst wird. (Quelle)

Wunderbar beschrieben von Milan Kundera in seinem Buch vom Lachen und Vergessen findet sich hier ein schönes Fallbeispiel:

Litost is a state of torment brought upon by the realization of one's inadequacy or misery. The example Kundera uses in his book is that of a boy who can't swim very well, while his girlfriend is a very strong swimmer. When the girl swims off on her own, humbling her boyfriend, he becomes enraged at his own inferiority, and overcome with litost, slaps her in the face. Another example he gives is that of a violin student, who is constantly reprimanded by his teacher. Rather than strive to play better, he intentionally plays the notes even worse, sinking deeper into litost.

Along with litost comes revenge. The person who has brought upon this misery and torment must be made to feel that same as you do! Inflicting misery to offset litost comes in one of two ways. The most obvious tactic is to inflict punishment on others - hence the slap in the face. There are times, however, when one is unable to punish the source of litost directly. "Circuitous revenge", Kundera calls it, "the indirect blow". Perhaps the boy, rather than striking his girlfriend, is overcome with a strange thought: He should swim just as fast and as far as she does, and not being able to continue on, drown in the river. Stricken with grief that her own athletic prowess sealed his doom, she would take her life. Even though he is dead, his soul rejoices eternally with the knowledge that she has committed suicide in her grief.

Ach, ich schmachte...

Update: laut neuesten Erkenntnissen soll Litost hochansteckend sein