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We all have embarrassing moments that keep us up at night. It’s the awkward texts you’ve sent to someone, the way you acted around your crush, or basically anything you did as a teenager. Suddenly, you find yourself screaming “no, no, no” and asking for the earth to swallow you whole—anything to escape reliving those moments again.

Unfortunately, not everyone can escape them. Some have had those moments immortalized on the internet and published on sites like SorrowMemes. Luckily for everyone else though, many of them are truly hilarious. So, at least somebody is benefiting from the embarrassment, right? Scroll down to enjoy someone else’s pain.

#1

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But why do these embarrassing memories stick out to us so much? Why do we even remember them so vividly? Well, technically, we don’t really know that. Scientists do have their theories, though.

For example, Lia Kvavilashvili, a psychology researcher at the University of Hertfordshire who studies this phenomenon, that she dubbed “mind pops,” has a few ideas why it happens. One is that these embarrassing memories might be triggered by something in your environment. That is, you might see an item of clothing that reminds you of the time you embarrassed yourself by spilling wine all over yourself.

But what about the times you’re just lying in bed and your brain slaps you with a wet rag of past embarrassments? Well, that might be explained by Kvavilashvili’s other theory: the brain likes to play unresolved situations on loop. 

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See, oftentimes, at the moment when the embarrassment is happening, it feels like you’ve been caught and things were taken out of context. In a way, you think if people knew more about it, if you had had a chance to explain yourself, things wouldn’t look that bad. Scientists believe that interruptions like this one make you hold onto the memory for longer.

#5

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CascadedFalls
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My family members who are past 18 years old, have grown scales that deflect the rain drops that fall.

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However, neurobiologist James McGaugh believes it is all physiological. In the moment of embarrassment, you get excited and adrenaline rushes to your brain making the amygdala light up. The amygdala, in turn, persuades the rest of your brain that this moment is worth storing in the memory archives because you felt a lot during it.

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So, if this is all in the brain and there’s no way of stopping it from happening, is there a way to deal with it that would make you feel less perturbed when awful memories pop up? Well, of course, there is. And it’s not suppressing the memory or denying it ever happened. Melissa Dahl, the author of the book Cringeworthy: A Theory Of Awkwardness, suggests practicing humility. 

#10

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Hawkmoon
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is the result of a cutting-edge scientific experiment called freezing. Very difficult to reproduce outside of a specialized laboratory. Don't try this at home!

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Unlike what you might think, humility is not about undervaluing yourself and your work. It is recognizing yourself for who you are and knowing that you are not a big deal. The world doesn’t revolve around you, you are just a small part of it. 

#14

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Cjo
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Of course, they live to together, most identical octuplets do. LOL

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#15

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Roxy222uk
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is something I find incredibly confusing and, I believe, shows completely that race is a social construct. If you have olive skin and black hair, speak Spanish, have a surname like Rodriquez or Hernandez, like to cook tortillas, and live in Europe you are considered white. If you have olive skin and black hair, speak Spanish, have a surname like Rodriquez or Hernandez, like to cook tortillas, and live in the Americas, you are considered a person of colour. I was astonished when Amy, in Superstore, referred to herself as 'a brown person'. Race has very little to do with DNA and is mostly how the rest of society views you.

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So, when something embarrassing happens, instead of thinking “Oh, how silly am I,” you should consider the fact that everyone experiences facepalm moments. You’re not alone in your embarrassment, it’s a universal feeling.

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You can also see it from the perspective of growth. If you look back at something you did a few years back and think the way you acted was awkward, notice that you’ve gained perspective. The fact that you can recognize your behavior was odd shows that you’ve grown and you will avoid acting that way again.

#19

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Jared Robinson
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Come on, we've all been here at some point. Maybe not this exact intersection but one that looked a whole helluva lot like it.

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#21

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weatherwitch
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's just horrific if it's true why aren't the shelters doing the basic checks that would happen in the UK? Why the fk can't he provide safety and shelter for them? And if he only wants cats for outside, stop getting them!! I've worked with feral colony cats for cats, and this guy makes me feel so angry 😢

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Either way, show grace and kindness to yourself. After all, making mistakes is human. And, there’s a high chance only you can remember it anyway. Well, unless it’s online. Then there’s a chance that a lot of people remember it. Sorry about that.

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Surenu
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake." - Napoleon Bonaparte, attributed

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Surenu
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To be fair, if it was a Bag of Holding it's not supposed to do that and you'd be entitled to get your gold back

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#28

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Szzone
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Aren't lions scrictly speaking panthers? Originally, panthers are the collective name for big cats. The scientific name of lions is panthera leo.

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#31

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i.am.lost.
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1 year ago

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#35

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#37

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Surenu
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not to make this dark or anything (joke, I am about to make this dark) but if someone threw a bag into the train I'm in I'd be worried at least.

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#40

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Happy Homemaker
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What kind of plans does the hardware store have in place for your significant other? 🤨

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#45

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Mo Flores
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

People call UC Berkeley, right across the bridge from San Francisco, Cal, or California... She could be switching from a golden bear to a gator ~ 25 miles away

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#46

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Delta Dawn
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not the whole story. “Correction: The original version of this article falsely stated that Tanya McDowell was sentenced to five years in prison solely after larceny conviction for falsifying her son's address to get him into a neighboring school district. The sentence, which came after a plea agreement, actually encompassed three crimes to which McDowell pleaded guilty: Larceny and two counts of sale of narcotics.” https://people.com/crime/mom-sentenced-to-5-years-in-prison-for-using-friends-address-to-enroll-son-in-school/

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Ranger Kanootsen
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1 year ago

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#50

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The Scout
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Spoiler: Most Italians actually can speak English and will gladly do so if you ask nicely instead of complaining and making a scene. But it is generally a bad idea to assume everyone everywhere speaks your language. Although, to be fair, most people do, as being bilingual or multilingual is completely normal in most parts of Europe and Asia.

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Note: this post originally had 130 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.

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