Embarrassment Quote by Toni Bernhard
““What is embarrassment? In general, embarrassment is an emotional response to an innocent mistake. The major reason that some of us are embarrassment-prone is that we’ve been conditioned to set unrealistically high expectations for ourselves and to judge ourselves negatively when we can’t possibly meet those standards. A second reason that makes us susceptible to embarrassment is that we’ve been taught to take our cue in evaluating ourselves from what we assume (often erroneously) to be others’ opinions of us.””
About This Quote
Source Article: Psychology of Embarrassment, 2020
Embarrassment stems from harsh self‑judgment and over‑reliance on imagined others’ opinions, often due to unrealistic personal standards.
In simple terms: Embarrassment is self‑criticism and imagined judgment.
Key Takeaway
Lower expectations and seek authentic feedback.
Themes
self‑esteem
social anxiety
perfectionism
Mood
anxious
reflective
Type
psychological
advice
When to use this quote
- public speaking
- first dates
- work presentations
- social media posting
Key Concepts
cognitive bias
self‑conditioning
social comparison
Questions to Reflect On
- What standards do you set for yourself?
- How can you verify others’ true opinions?
A Different Perspective
If others truly accept you, embarrassment may still persist due to internal standards.
![“[Winning the White House was an achievement], but as an African-American, [Barack Obama], I think the symbolism is in how he conducted himself. The symbolism was in - and this sounds really, really small, but it's actually big for African-Americans - the symbolism was not in being an…” quote by Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5dc/ta-nehisi-coates-733_achievement_winning-the-white-house-was-an-achieveme_47651.jpg)