Embarrassment is an emotional reaction that accompanies deviance to social norms in a public setting (Dolan et al., 2020). It creates feelings of awkwardness, regret, and discomfort. People operate with an intrinsic fear of being judged, and embarrassment places them on a platform that exposes these worries. This emotion is hated because it is a form of social punishment with a hidden benefit. Embarrassment is an appeasement gesture signaling other people that our deviance was unintentional. Besides, embarrassment assures others that effort will be placed to avoid repetition (Harris, 2022). My moment of embarrassment was highly uncomfortable, and it exposed me to negativity, but I was able to overcome and learn valuable lessons from it.
After moving out of my parents’ house, I was excited by the freedom and responsibilities of adulthood. My roommate and I would sample restaurants in the city, and sometimes, our classmates would tag along. When I identified an elite eatery, I would inform my roommate and foot the bill for our meals. He then would return the favor by suggesting a different location and paying the bills.
Our new hobby attracted more food enthusiasts from our class, and soon after, we would sample foods and drinks as a tradition every Friday. Towards the end of the first semester, I was lucky to receive some money from a project I had participated in. I was excited after the project manager called me to ask for my bank account details. She mentioned that the money would be credited within the next 12 hours. It was on Thursday, and I knew I would treat my friends the following day.
I took them to a Japanese outlet to get the experience of seeing meals prepared in front of us. We ordered teppanyaki and several accompanying drinks. After finishing our meals, we decided to hang out at the hotel because it was still early. We ordered more drinks and told stories, attracting the attention of other customers with our loud laughs. Before we knew it, midnight was approaching, and we had to leave the restaurant.
My friends insisted on helping me with the bill, but I proudly declined and even offered to pay for their uber. I proceeded to the cashier to make the payment, and they headed out to wait for me. After several intermittent glances, the cashier informed me that my credit card could not make a payment because my bank had inactivated my account.
I froze for a moment. I called the project manager, who informed me that my payment was declined. I had to wait until Monday for them to sort out my issues. The cashier overheard that conversation and called the manager. It became a scene, and my friends returned to check on me. I had no cash, and the manager threatened to call the police. To make things worse, my friends decided to contribute what they had, but still, it was not enough. I had to call my parents, and the bill was cleared after two hours of embarrassment. Nobody was talking to me on our way home, including my roommate. I felt like a joker. I was afraid to buy anything using my credit card for several weeks. Eventually, I faced my friends and made peace with them. But the experience is one I will live to remember.
In conclusion, my moment of embarrassment was highly uncomfortable, and it exposed me to negativity, but I was able to overcome and learn valuable lessons from it. I learned that it is unwise to rely on something not within reach. I also learned that pride can make things worse and that it is wise to accept other people’s help, especially when they insist on it. I can comfortably look back at that day’s events and feel that they will never be repeated in the future.
References
Dolan, H., Taylor, & Taylor, R. (2020). Embarrassment experienced by older adults in relation to accidental falls: A concept analysis. Journal of Geriatric Nursing, 41(6), 769-775. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gerinurse.2020.05.007
Harris, C. (2022). americanscientist.org. Retrieved from americanscientist.org: https://www.americanscientist.org/article/embarrassment-a-form-of-social-pain
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