Make Your Point > Archived Issues > VORFREUDE
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I love Vorfreude, both the word and the concept! It's anticipatory joy: the happiness of looking forward to something.
"Vorfreude" is German for "anticipatory joy," or more literally, "before-joy."
Part of speech:
If you enjoy labeling feelings and experiences with extremely specific terms, and if you don't mind thieving them from other languages when necessary, then you'll love "Vorfreude."
"[Vorfreude] struck me as such a hopeful concept – surely we could all do with less schadenfreude and more vorfreude... This can boost your mood, reduce your stress levels and help to avoid burnout."
Explain the meaning of "Vorfreude" without saying "preliminary joy" or "happy anticipation."
In her blog "Untranslatable," Kristin Wong wrote about the concept of Vorfreude, saying:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
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A near opposite of VORFREUDE is
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