35 People Offer Insight On What Things In Life We Simply Shouldn't Be Embarrassed By
The social pressure to feel embarrassed by things like doing a #2 in a public restroom or having stretch marks, but plenty of people would beg to differ.
Whether or not something is worth being embarrassed by is entirely subjective. Some people can boldly fart in front of everyone at a party, while others can't even handle being complimented in front of other people.
Some individuals grow flush with embarrassment when they're seen in public with something in their teeth, while others wouldn't bat an eye if their shirt is on inside-out and backward. And while nothing about opinions is absolute, most people tend to have similar feelings about a variety of things being worthy of our embarrassment. It turns out that quite a few of those things are so natural and not worthy of internalized shame that it's high time we talk about them not being embarrassing anymore!
If you've struggled with whether or not it's embarrassing to walk through a small business and not see anything you like (or anything in your budget), so you promptly leave without making a purchase, then you might be relieved to know that someone on the Internet is on your side because that's one of the 30 things that social media users brought up when asked:
"What feels embarrassing but shouldn't?"
These folks really delivered some insight that ranged from surprisingly honest to obvious to profound. Check it out now:
1. "Being overweight and going to the gym."
"I've actually stopped completely... I just work out at home. The stares and snickering were too much to deal with when I'm just trying to work out."
giphy2. "Going to a shop and walking out without buying anything."
giphy3. "Mispronouncing words, grammar mistakes, and word choice while learning a new language."
"It's way less tragic than it feels, and most native speakers butcher their own routinely."
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4. "Admitting you have severe depression and need to take meds and have therapy to not harm yourself."
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5. "Being in a deadly silent bathroom where you know some of the other stalls are occupied and trying to quietly change pads without everyone knowing what you're doing."
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6. "Stretch marks. Body hair, or lack of it. Breast size. Penis size. Mental illness. Starting your life at 40 instead of 16. Niche interests. So many things...."
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7. "Buying contraceptives and basically any other sexual wellness products in a physical store."
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8. "Compliments, at least for me, feel embarrassing."
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9. "Eating alone at a restaurant, especially fancy ones."
"People always talk about treating yourself and taking yourself out for dates, but when you actually hit up a restaurant alone, the vibe isn't always the same."
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10. "Leaking on a period. Sure, it's annoying and uncomfortable, but it's not like it was a choice."
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11. "Doing number two in a public washroom. The sounds are one reason why I choose home."
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12. "Talking about money."
"I was invited on a girl's trip and had to say no because I couldn't come up with cash in the short amount of time needed to book the trip. My friend said that I embarrassed her by telling the other girls that I couldn't afford it."
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13. "Asking for help more than once in class."
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14. "Being hungry at a friend's house, or having your host offer you something and saying yes. WHY DOES IT SEEM SO RUDE AND EMBARRASSING!? Haha."
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15. "Talking about feminine things in front of my dad. Example: periods, bras, pads, etc."
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16. "Enjoying 'childish' things as an adult."
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17. "Singing in front of other people. I know lots of other people do it, but it just makes me feel really exposed and awkward."
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18. "Practicing any instrument you are learning at home around family."
"You don't know how to play very well, which is why you need to learn and practice, but you feel dumb struggling through easy songs with people that can hear you."
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19. "Getting out of the pool. It's just so awkward. And also when you're crouching in the shallow end and someone goes, 'You could just stand, you know.' LIKE YEAH, I KNOW, I'M JUST INSECURE."
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20. "Wanting to go home because you are done socializing. But if you say so, everyone is offended, and it’s embarrassing, even though it barely has anything to do with them."
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21. "Going to a sex shop. And generally, everything with sex as a topic is seen as vulgar and a complete taboo."
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22. "When you have to run to catch the bus, you're out of breath, and you start breathing heavily on the bus. I don't know why, but this just seems so embarrassing to me."
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23. "Exercising in your room as a kid. I don't know why."
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24. "Coming out. I know it is a little embarrassing, but I swear I almost died of embarrassment."
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25. "Farting and burping."
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26. "When a car is stopped to let you cross the street."
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27. "Opening a gift—expectations of my reaction."
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28. "Having your period."
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29. "My false teeth. Since high school. I know there's nothing wrong, but I still didn't tell anybody."
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30. "A giant zit on your cheek that makeup won't even begin to cover."
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31. "When you're talking to someone and they correct you because you got something wrong. Even if it's just the pronunciation of a random word. I always feel so ashamed, and I don't know why."
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32. "Public speaking."
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33. "Puberty."
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34. "Asking for the bathroom key at those gas stations that require one, especially when they take a really long time to get it."
"Also, mentioning that I'm not okay. Whenever someone thinks I'm unhappy, I get super embarrassed, and it makes it all worse."
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35. "Asking for anything, especially at restaurants."
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Well, what did you think of these responses? Do any of these ordinary, mundane, and common things leave you feeling flushed, out of place, out of sorts, and totally embarrassed, or do you have nerves of steel?
Can you poop in public, or do you still have work to do shedding the opinions and expectations of total strangers? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!