We feel ashamed when we make a mistake, make a fool of ourselves in front of others, or regret our actions as inappropriate. This feeling can be accompanied by a blush on the face, nervousness or a certain inner discomfort. However, sometimes the actions of others are what trigger shame in us. When this happens, we speak of someone else's embarrassment.
Two illustrative examples of situations
We attend a humorous show in which a comedian tries to make the audience laugh with his thanks and jokes. In our seat we observe that no one laughs and we feel embarrassed by the performance of the comedian.
A lecturer is in front of a large audience that is interested in the topic to be discussed. The lecturer has a speech defect and his words are not well understood. Many of those present feel uncomfortable and are looking forward to the conference ending as soon as possible.
In the above examples, there are two protagonists: someone who attracts negative attention for some reason and others who feel embarrassed.
Used as a strategy in some television shows
In certain programs it is common to resort to bizarre characters or geeks who somehow make a fool of themselves in front of the cameras. Many viewers can feel embarrassed with this type of performance. Those who design these shows know that the mechanism of embarrassment can attract viewers.
Why does this feeling arise?
This question does not have a single answer, since this feeling depends on many factors (the relationship we have with the person who causes the feeling, our own character or the ridiculousness of the situation). However, there is a question that could explain this type of reaction: the participation of so-called mirror neurons. These neurons have the function of generating empathy with others.
If someone around us yawns, we end up yawning by imitation. In the same way, if someone makes a fool of themselves in front of others, our brain generates a mechanism of empathy with that person and we end up feeling someone else's shame.
It must be borne in mind that the shame of others implies in most cases that we put ourselves in the place of the other and, consequently, we live their unfortunate situation as if it happened to us.
In other words, we are social beings and what happens to others is not indifferent to us. The painful and uncomfortable emotion of the shame of others is indicating that we are people with empathy.
Photo: Fotolia - Kakigori
