I was pondering (always dangerous) the other day about being embarrassed in social situations which eventually led me to the idea of an embarrassment index: a number between 0 and 1 that essentially is the level of embarrassment you feel when in public. Further to this, I was thinking, what exactly flips the embarrassment switch. The point where you hit less than 0.5 and the embarrassment doesn’t stop you from doing something considered a bit out there?
As a small child, you’re embarrassment index is very low (0?); you simply don’t feel it embarrassed by most things. Its probably around the time you start school that this changes, and you creep over the 0.5 mark for certain things, such as having your parents drop you off to school. I’m guessing that most people stay above 0.5 for a lot of things for most of their lives. However, as you get older, there are times where you do fall below 0.5. However, other people are quick to point out this fact and let you know that you are below the threshold …
I’m blaming society here for the high embarrassment index. Its not all bad, there are times when you should feel embarrassed. The point where it concerns me is when the fear of embarrassment stops you from achieving something. For example, being too embarrassed to go to the gym because of what people will think, even though you really do need to lose some weight.
I realise there are exceptions to the rule. There are people that have a naturally low embarrassment index and keep that way for their entire lives. So, I’m going to leave this thought with a link to an excellent book; What do you care what other people think by Richard P. Feynman who was definitely an exception.