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From a crunching sound when we drop our phones on accident, to the screeching of tires and a crash, there are sounds that induce a physiological feeling of dread. But when it dissipates, and if it’s not our items that are damaged, our curiosity often gets the better of us and we want to see just what sort of destruction happened.

The “That Looked Expensive” online group gathers examples from all over the world where failures, misfortune, and accidents befell costly-looking items. So regardless of whether you are cringing or experiencing a deep degree of schadenfreude, be sure to upvote your favorites and comment your own stories below.

#1 Neighbor Having Dead Tree Cut Down… Contractor Made A Little Mistake

Image credits: Luftibald

#2 I Humbly Request This Picture To Be Used As The Subreddit Image. The Montparnasse Derailment – 1895

Image credits: Gonemad79

#3 Oven Fell On A Red Hot Ferrari

Image credits: Barf-fly

Seeing someone else’s misfortune can be a mixed bag. Yes, we are sympathetic creatures as humans, blessed (or cursed) with the ability to empathize with others. But deep down, sometimes another struggle is just funny. After all, America’s Funniest Home Videos wouldn’t be running since 1989 if we didn’t enjoy seeing another’s accidents. The Germans, as always, have a word for this, schadenfreude, or the feeling of joy (freude) at seeing someone fail/be harmed (schaden).

Unfortunately, scientists are here to ruin the fun. People with low self-esteem are more likely to experience schadenfreude, as they feel it brings others down to their level. Similarly, people with high degrees of narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy are more likely to feel it as well, as they tend to “struggle” with feeling empathy towards others. This is not to say that looking at these fails makes you a bad person, rather, that the impulse might just not be that benign at heart.

#4 How Fast Do You Have To Go For That To Happen

Image credits: Motor-Ad9914

#5 Vet On Fire. Seen In Dallas Today 8/17/2022

Image credits: tomertz

#6 Just Got A Brand New Grove At Work! Annnnnnndd It’s Gone. Can’t Believe This Guy Has A License!

Image credits: RetiredAerospaceVP

One doesn’t have to look far to find other, ample examples of content based on “fails.” As far back as 2008, internet pages were building and finding content revolving around misfortune, accidents, slips of the tongue, and other mistakes. While sometimes the content does seem cruel, examples like “That Looked Expensive” have mass appeal because the victims tend to be wealthy. A crashed sports car sucks, but if one can afford it, it might not feel as bad.

#7 The Gas Leaks On The Nord Stream 1 And 2 Gas Pipelines In The Baltic Sea

Image credits: HejdaaNils

#8 I’m On The Roof!

Image credits: RPA031

#9 The Poor Little Thing Just Wanted A Belly Rub

Image credits: EndersGame_Reviewer

There is also a degree of curiosity in seeing expensive things break. Most of us are not around supercars, yachts, and construction equipment, so seeing what it looks like broken down or on fire has a sort of novel appeal. This is an impulse older than internet memes. For example, US soldiers in World War Two sometimes expressed a fascination with destruction. They would enjoy exploring the burnt-our wrecks of vehicles and bombed cities.

#10 A London Pub That Was Demolished And Recreated

Image credits: 4reddityo

#11 73-Year Old Woman Confuses Accelerator With The Brakes In Australia

Image credits: griftertm

#12 Well, Not One But Two

Image credits: pvypvMoonFlyer

In the modern day and age, this manifests as our curiosity whenever there is a traffic accident. It’s almost cliche to say things like “I couldn’t look away,” when we recall driving or walking past a car crash, but it does reflect a deep-seated inquisitiveness we have toward destruction. Many people will slow down, partially due to safety concerns, as one crash might be an indicator of risk factors in the area.

#13 The Gaziantep Castle In Turkey Collapsed After The Recent Earthquake

Image credits: spammyeren

#14 Roro Ferry Plows Into Anchored Cargo Vessel. Officer On Duty “Swears” He Wasn’t Asleep At The Wheel

Image credits: CamKen

#15 Driving Into A Multistory? No Problemo

Image credits: mitchanium

Our brains are somewhat helpful in this regard. Relationally, a car crash, for example, or any other less common disaster is a bad thing. But our minds are clever enough to know that there might be important data, so they will want us to look. Our brains are more engaged when there is a negative emotion present, allowing us to quickly analyze the situation and learn whatever lessons there are to be learned. It seems that “smart people learn from others’ mistakes,” is a core feature of our psyche.

#16 Aftermath Of A Trash Truck Falling Onto Train Tracks And Getting Sideswiped By An Ice High Speed Train At Lambrecht, Germany (17th Of August 2010)

Image credits: Random_Introvert_42

#17 Instant Infinity Pool

Image credits: IN2NFT

#18 Someone Left A Grill On In The Parking Lot At The Dolphins-Patriots Game

Image credits: sweettouch007

Our consciousness is also somewhat assisted by the knowledge that there are solutions. We live in a materially rich world, cars can be fixed or replaced, and buildings repaired. Many people have insurance. This knowledge helps us rationalize these disasters and turn them into a bit of entertainment. Yes, it probably wouldn’t feel great to walk outside after a storm, see your own ruined property and think “That looks expensive,” but even bad luck has its own sort of charm.

#19 In 2005, A U.S. Navy Submarine Ran Into A Mountain And Made It Back On Its Own

Image credits: RetiredAerospaceVP

#20 3/14/23 Miller Hill Mall (Duluth, Mn) Roof Collapse Due To Snow

Image credits: Firesquid

#21 Yes Sir, I Can Confirm That Your Package Is Currently En-Route On A Container Ship

Image credits: EndersGame_Reviewer

In fact, if a person can laugh at themselves, and by extension, their own misfortune, that is a sign of better emotional well-being. Plus, if you can afford something that is expensive to fix, you might already be in a better position than most. So finding humor in downright bad luck is a good way for the brain to rationalize what is happening and release a little joy in an otherwise unfortunate situation. So, if you want to explore others’ misfortune a bit more, Bored Panda has got you covered, check out our pieces here, here, and here.