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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.

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CascadedFalls
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5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ooo, I'll use this whenever I see someone doing precisely that from now on.

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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. 

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.

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CascadedFalls
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5 months 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. 

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Hawkmoon
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5 months 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. 

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Cjo
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5 months 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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Roxy222uk
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5 months 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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Kevin Snyder
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5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah, but a Spanish tortilla is an omelette, and a Central American tortilla is flatbread.

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Mysteria
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5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Exactly! Does me being a white Canadian stop me from learning Arabic? Of course not, and honestly I’m even enjoying the Duolingo course so far. It feels cool to look at Arabic script and at least be able to sound it out, even if I don’t know what it means lol

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BrownTabby
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5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That’s not why I can’t speak Spanish; I just decided to study Japanese instead.

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V
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was too drunk to remember anything except swear words when I tried to learn Spanish...

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Leviathan
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5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This reminds me of the few times I had people tell me "Don't speak Japanese if you are WHITE!" ...... Im Japanese and Albino like What...

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Mat O'Dowd
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5 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would like to know why you make a distinction between the colors of people. I don't know about other countries, but here in France you aren't allowed to mention the ethnicity on any documents, official or HR related by law. We do have racism, but color or religion isn't something that defines your official identity. I would like to know if this is the case in other countries?

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DeoManus Argentem
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5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hispanic = comes from a Spanish speaking country, speaks Spanish as a first language. Latino = comes from a country in Latin America. So most Latinos are Hispanic (save Brazilians as the biggest example), but Spaniards are not Latino, and Brazilians are not Hispanic. Nothing to do with race, which is just a societal construct.

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King Ed
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5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm white, hazel ayes, blond hair and I'm from Central America, guess what? That happens when you live in a country that doesn't care about your skin color, I learn about been racist in USA, I see that everyday.

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Sue
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's funny too, because the Spanish literally MADE brown people speak Spanish and be Christians.

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Id row
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5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm so tired of everybody being racist and denying it. This is racism, plain and simple.

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EarthGrowl
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5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

All these stuck up, racist, White Americans act like they are so much better than Spanish speakers. But the vast majority of those Spanish speakers in the U.S. can speak TWO languages. While the Bigots barely speak one and probably lack the ability to learn a 2nd language. I'd rather have the bilingual people who exhibit the desire to learn and better themselves than the nitwits who think the world should stagnate to please them.

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Anita Pickle
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5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Although it is not limited to only white Americans. But I would say a vast majority of English speaking Americans do have a superiority complex. It always baffles me too that anyone who can speak 2+ languages and often work well over the traditional 40 hours a week could be seen as incompetent in any way. Americans are also bizarre in their free open borders for keeping the cheapest almost slave like labor force in full force working farms and other means of hard physical labor for dollars a day.

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Lena Flising
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5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Everything is relative. If you compare people of Spain to people in Finland or Sweden, the people of Spain often have darker skin and brown to black hair. But, if you compare people of Spain to people in southern parts of Afrika, the people of Spain usually have much whiter skin and lighter hair and eyes. However, I'm a Swede, and I have learned a bit of Spanish, at least enough to order a bottle of red wine or a beer, and I am very white, I barely even get a suntan during summer. In short, language has little or nothing to do with skin-tone.

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OnlyMe
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5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

OMG what ridiculous arguments. Where I'm from, you are whatever you say you are, who am I to argue?

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Chelsea McKee
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sooo, obligatory I've dated a Mexican, as in somebody born and raised in Mexico, who was light complected, blonde haired, and blue eyed. His mother was as well, also Mexican.

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Alecto76
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This kind of gatekeeping makes me angry. Our aim should be to communicate and relate with people that are not like ourselves. This person's idea is to ensure that doesn't happen. I live in a city with a hugh Spanish speaking population, and we are trying to welcome and care for 20K+ people that crossed the border, were placed on a bus and sent to us from Texas. Am I not suppoed to make an effort to communicate with other residents and new residents to my city? Am I supposed to be the sterotypical a*****e that shouts "this is the US learn English" at people? Learn a sufficient amount of the languages of the people you encounter daily, regardless of your race. Gracias, Dziekuje (I don't know how to accent marks on this post).

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Moo
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm white af majoring in Korean, that person would have an aneurysm if they found that out. Who would've guessed you're allowed to speak languages not native to your country??

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BarkingSquirell
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5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Are you familiar with bilingualism and multi-lingualism. Ha ha, this guy/gal is the worst!

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csaclint
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5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Gotta love the good ol' USA. we've decided to do our best to keep everyone as separated as possible. If we have more groups, we have more ways to check off a victim box. if we have more victims, we have more people needing help. More people needing help, means more people for the government to make empty promises to. And all those people will vote based on the self interest they've been told they should be concerned about. One day, i hope, people will wake up and realize life is not about how you were born, or how you die, but rather the things you do inbetween.

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Mysteria
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5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Blud you realize it was the *white* Spaniards/conquistadors who went to Central America and made the Spanish colonies and basically killed off the native civilizations, and they’re the reason that countries like Mexico speak Spanish… you do know that right?

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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.

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Jared Robinson
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5 months 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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weatherwitch
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5 months 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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5 months 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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5 months 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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Szzone
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5 months 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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i.am.lost.
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5 months ago

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Surenu
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5 months 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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Lex <3 (they/them)
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5 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sort of off topic but I wish I could get my braces off :/ (edit: spelling)

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Happy Homemaker
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5 months 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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Mo Flores
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5 months 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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Delta Dawn
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5 months 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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5 months ago

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The Scout
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5 months 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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