the embarrassment phenomenon

[Rootabager]

So crazy there is a thread on this. I have never seen anyone else do it , and my girlfriend makes fun of me for doing it.

I watch most of my shows on the computer and fast forward through the parts that make me do this.

[pokerbobo]

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Watching Borat or Ali G was probably the strongest Ive ever felt the phenomenon.
I still enjoyed the movie and tv shows though. Just some parts were really "tough" to get through in this regard.

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Same for me, Borat was the last time I experienced this.

[gatorch0mp]

I generally don't feel this when watching fictional shows. The last time I really felt this was watching the Miss Teen South Carolina contestant answer her question... had to put my hand over my face and peek between my fingers... it was difficult.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww

[El Diablo]

All,

I'm pretty surprised so many people have this awkwardness/uncomfortable feeling. To me, this type of stuff is at the core of a lot of the stuff I find incredibly entertaining. I like to think I have a lot of empathy, but maybe not!

[egj]

Count me among the hordes who get this in a bad way. As for a few others, Borat was the most recent and intense example that I recall. I literally could not stay in the room.

It's good to know I am far from alone in this.

This phenomenon seems to be specifically intense empathy to people in embarrassing situations. I'm not especially empathetic to people being robbed, shot, maimed, dismembered, disemboweled or any number of other unpleasant things.

[manub]

[ QUOTE ]
This phenomenon seems to be specifically intense empathy to people in embarrassing situations.

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Maybe it's easier to empathize with embarassment because it's a fairly common social feeling, and it can happen to any of us at pretty much anytime. Not like, say, disembowelment. At least not on the same probability scale!

[bottomset]

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You guys are weird.

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co-signed

[whiskeytown]

I've usually had the same feeling/urge, but I don't think it hits me much when in my mind, I know it's fiction -

some of that reality TV has made me cringe and change the channel a couple times -

RB

[Sciolist]

I get this too. I put it down to empathy - I figure that I am subconsciously putting myself in their shoes. Presumably the next guy doesn't, dunno which I'd prefer to be, both have their pros and cons.

I used to think this was a lack of confidence somewhere, which is kind of weird as lack of confidence isn't exactly a big problem of mine. However, I think it's quite common to over empathise with someone and thus be less sure of your own stance, so it's the same thing really.

[ohead]

I used to have this alot but these days I just think "well its already happened so I might as well view it" or if its REALLY annoying like that [censored] chris crocker [censored] I turn it off and never think of it again.