What’s worse: shame, guilt, or humiliation? Does Angela have psychopathic tendencies? And where’s the worst place to sit at a magic show?
Some people would just crawl into a cave and die.
I'm Angela Duckworth.
I'm Stephen Dubner, and you're listening to.
No stupid questions today on the show.
What's the purpose of embarrassment?
Why don't you want to be upfront?
It's like the best seat because you.
Get called on by the magician and you sit in a flimsy chair and it collapses.
Angela, an email today from one Fred Wildnauer.
Okay, Fred's question has to do with embarrassment.
He writes, what is the purpose of embarrassment?
Could it be another form of empathy, a way of shaming our hunter gatherer ancestors to do their duty in their community?
My adult children are often embarrassed by my old man type behavior.
I think that's something many of us.
Can identify with, either as the embarrasser or as the embarrassee.
Fred concludes his email by saying, to what purpose are we embarrassed?
Why does the behavior of others embarrass us?
Why do we care?
Those are a lot of really interesting questions about embarrassment.
Can we start with a definition?