You might think that people who rarely feel embarrassed have better social skills. And you’d be right, but that’s not the whole picture because they have some other skills behind the scenes, too. Here are eleven strengths that people who rarely feel embarrassed often have. Which of these do you have?
Low fear of negative evaluation
Someone who doesn’t get overly worried about what others might think will handle awkward moments with far less heat.
Studies have found that some people have a stronger fear of negative evaluation. These people tend to have a stronger embarrassment response. Not stopping to replay every possible criticism means you’ll likely shrug off any mistakes.
Having a guilt-focused style
Just because someone rarely feels embarrassed doesn’t mean they lose other emotions, too. Instead, they feel more guilt than embarrassment.
Research shows that these people can distinguish guilt about the act from shame about themselves. For example, they tell themselves, “My joke wasn’t great” instead of “I’m not a funny person.” It makes a big difference.
Carrying strong self-compassion
A strong sense of self-compassion is quite important for people who rarely get embarrassed. Studies have found that people like this are often kinder to themselves when things go wrong.
They have lower levels of shame about their body and actions. Essentially, they’ll understand it’s okay to make mistakes & refuse to beat themselves up about it, reducing the sting of these moments.
Keeping social attention turned outward
Unsurprisingly, these people focus less on themselves and more on other people. The research backs it up. These people are more attuned to what others are doing or reacting, rather than fixating on themselves.
They don’t disappear inside their own embarrassment. No, they’ll look around to pick up the next thread of the conversation.
Holding a flexible picture of the self
Those who get less embarrassed understand that they’re not perfect. But they’re happy with that.
Meta-analyses of shame & self-esteem have found that these people have a more stable self-view that stops them from thinking they’re a complete failure. They see the moment as a stumble. Then they keep going.
Showing social boldness and liveliness
Research has discovered that people who are more extroverted have fewer moments of crippling embarrassment. That’s a benefit.
Why? Because they’re likely to be more socially confident, allowing them to engage & take part in risks. Sure, they might miss. But they’ll recover from these mistakes far more quickly than those who don’t.
Growing broader social connections
That’s not all for the social side. Those who don’t feel embarrassed very often usually know more people, simply because they’re around others more often. They’re also less likely to cancel plans.
Naturally, they’re more popular because of such behaviour, especially since research has found there’s a connection between higher embarrassment and social withdrawal.
Lower body-focused self-consciousness
You’re less likely to feel embarrassed when you stop focusing on how your body looks or moves. Studies in sports contexts state that people with more self-compassion suffer from less appearance-based embarrassment.
They might still blush after making a mistake. Yet they’re far less likely to hide or tell themselves that they looked dumb, over & over.
Asking for help without freezing up
It’s okay to ask for help. People who rarely get embarrassed understand that better than anyone else, since they’ll ask for assistance whenever they require it.
Research backs this up. Studies on help-seeking have found that people who worry about being judged are less likely to ask for help. As for those who feel less fear? They’ll be clearer about when they need it.
Speaking more openly about health
These kinds of people are unlikely to push off uncomfortable questions or hide any symptoms of poor health. According to healthcare research, higher rates of embarrassment can delay people from getting a checkup. They’re also less likely to be honest in healthcare conversations.
It figures that people with lower levels of embarrassment can bring up their issues more readily.
Performing more steadily under pressure
Pressure means nothing to people who don’t get embarrassed. It’s mostly because they’re not fighting a ton of self-conscious thoughts, so they’re able to perform better under pressure.
Fear of negative evaluation studies have linked higher anxiety with weaker performance. It’s particularly common in speaking tasks.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.