Main content

Embarrassment

We鈥檝e all felt squirms of embarrassment when we wanted the ground to swallow us up. Mike Williams discovers why we feel embarrassed and if there鈥檚 any prospect of relief from it.

A knot in the stomach, a blush to the face, a wish that the ground would swallow us up and end our misery. We鈥檝e all experienced embarrassment and wished it would never happen again.

But why do experience these feelings and what do they mean? Mike Williams asks psychotherapist Philippa Perry to explain embarrassment and what it says about us and how other people see us.

Dr Jieyu Liu, deputy director of the China Institute at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, tells Mike how the different generations in China view the reasons for embarrassment and how far it differs from 鈥渓oss of face鈥. She also discusses how it is possible to feel embarrassed for 鈥渢he nation鈥.

And former top cricketer and sports commentator, Ed Smith, reveals how sportsmen and women deal with embarrassment and whether it can be managed for better performance and results.

Produced by Simon Coates

(Image of a woman looking embarrassed. Credit: Shutterstock)

Available now

18 minutes

Last on

Sun 26 Oct 2014 05:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Fri 24 Oct 2014 18:32GMT
  • Sat 25 Oct 2014 13:32GMT
  • Sat 25 Oct 2014 22:32GMT
  • Sun 26 Oct 2014 05:32GMT

Get the podcast

Subscribe or download individual episodes for free

Why do we look the way we do?

Tattoos, trainers, jeans, hair, ties ... why?

Podcast