Sometimes It's Good to Be Embarrassed

"Indeed, our most painful and vivid memories are often of experiences in which we were humiliated by or in front of others. Embarrassment can lead to shame and self-loathing. It can diminish our confidence, shake us from our sense of certainty, and cause the kind of repression that expresses itself in all types of neuroses. When we feel embarrassed, we want to avoid others and conceal that of which we are ashamed."

"And yet, there are times when embarrassment has salutary effects. In some circumstances, feeling embarrassed is not only necessary but good. It helps us to see where we have gone wrong and teaches us to want to do otherwise. It is a corrective for behavior that needs correcting and reminds us of the fact that we are not infallible, but vulnerable, broken creatures who need one another's mercy, forgiveness, and love."

Embarrassment frequently produces shame, self-loathing, reduced confidence, uncertainty, and psychological repression that leads to avoidance and efforts to prevent recurrence. Embarrassment often feels like an unqualified evil and a fate to be avoided. In other circumstances, embarrassment functions as a corrective: it reveals moral failings, motivates reparative action, fosters humility, and encourages seeking mercy and forgiveness. An illustrative example portrays a debauched man who drinks, steals, assaults, and squanders money; experiencing disgrace can prompt recognition of vulnerability and, when met with compassion and support, can lead to moral growth and personal fulfillment.

Read at Psychology Today