Why the feeling of embarrassment is important
The feeling of being embarrassed or feeling embarrassed for another person has much to do with emotional intelligence, openness and being switched on.
Switched on means having an essential awareness of self and those around you. Only a stupid person would be detached from themselves and their surroundings.
A stupid person is one guided by their cluelessness. Personal beliefs and heightened levels of nativity fuel this cluelessness.
This person will show you what they are early on, but they expect you to admire them.
They are easily offended and lack the ability to interpret people’s expressions, nonverbal cues and clear verbal responses, no matter how clear they may be.
But that in itself is not necessarily the main problem. Even within what can be seen as similar cultures, communication is still rooted mainly in the country’s language, history and the contextual interpretations of things as agreed upon within the culture of that nation.
In some cultures, for example, if you opt out to express your views on something, it is interpreted as agreed.
Yet, in those same cultures, ‘Taking a no for an answer’ is also often frowned upon as one must rebel against social restrictions/norms.
Stupid people, however, are on another level and they like to take that argument and smear it throughout the context spectrum.
With social media, there is a broader cross-cultural understanding, and it also flattens out possible cultural communication barriers that help with the interpretation of things.
Nevertheless, there is one type that can be found throughout all cultures.
These individuals are often obnoxiously present and showcase behavioural patterns of entitlement and self-righteousness.
Their compass is stereotypes and generalisations.
They are set on beliefs such as;
Muslims throw their homosexuals from buildings.
Offering Muslims pork meat.
These are fools Whitin’ every bit of their deepest fibre. They have no sense of direction. They are easily impressed and would rather compete with everyone around them, including their family members. This competitive nature stems from chronic low self-esteem often masked as ‘people’s person’ or sociable. These people can also be characterised as the young people who go to the local supermarket to sit there and have coffee to get their social fix.
That is not usual for a young person to do, but this type has an ulterior motive: making friends through gossip and getting people to like them. In a way, it is sad because someone like that could never find contentment without the attention of others. There is a reason why this type craves that kind of social stimuli.
They vocalise all the things they are proud of. Mind you, these individuals, and that is where the lack of awareness comes in, are so extroverted that they don’t shy away from exposing their envious nature. They are so talkative that they forget to listen to themselves; hence, sharing what triggers jealous emotions in them is no problem as they would quickly deny it again.
Their social demeanour allows them to exhibit helpful and approachable personas, but because they are highly insecure, they become scary and clingy pretty fast. Their infatuation with others is far-reaching, and you definitely owe them something if you ever accept their disingenuous efforts to help. Don’t ever forget that.
Once they have offered you their support, they expect you to thank them more than once, because their self-value depends on it.
If you don’t value their efforts as much as they did, or you don’t remember to return a favour along the way, you can count on them being the first ones to remind you of that favour they had once done for you.
They overshare with newly acquainted strangers, and they expect the strangers to do the same.
For that same reason, they could take on the roles of master manipulators, as their primary talent is to put on different faces when dealing with whoever is around them.
They are able to do so because they have no recollections of their evil ways. They are clueless when they go too far in social settings, let alone when crossing others’ boundaries. They can’t read into that because they have no self-respect, which allows them to discredit other people’s boundaries.
Having a filter is a foreign language to them, as they don’t need to be bothered with that because they take pride in their simpleton.
They lie as much as their inclination to deceit allows them to.
Seeing someone engaging cluelessly in embarrassing behaviour is truly like watching someone with a mad cow’s disease.
Entertaining but also cringeworthy. And that cringe is taking upon one the embarrassment that person caught to feel.
Lacking in all these delicate, inquisitive neuro-social areas allows no room for embarrassment. But hope is not lost because general curiosity, cultural sensitivity and being less self-absorbed can help to unruffle the unspoken language of common human decency and teach you when to feel embarrassed.
Being receptive to those around you has nothing to do with being social — introverted or extroverted.
Here is another thing: Don’t assume and don’t vocalise a dumb question out loud when the answers are obvious.
No one is defined by their skin colour. Assuming you are special because of your skin tone or lack of pigment and that everyone, therefore, would think highly of you is an embarrassment.
Other exquisite examples of when to feel embarrassed; assuming Muslim women are not allowed to drive, female followers of the Islamic faith can not have their own money.
There is no humour in stupidity.
Keep prejudices to yourself.
Learn to be embarrassed, it will shield you from destructive behaviour.
And this is what’s interesting about people being cultivated under similar circumstances that are complete opposites.
The emotion of embarrassment is universally acknowledged. However, it is not valued the same as its cross-cultural emphasis varies.
