Shame and Embarrassment, the difference
Embarrassment is hot, self-conscious discomfort at being exposed in a moment. Shame is the shrinking feeling that your whole self is flawed.
Each in a line
Shame
Shame is the feeling that something is wrong with you, not just your actions. The shoulders curl in, the head drops, the impulse is to hide. Guilt says I did a bad thing; shame says I am one. It motivates concealment.
Self-conscious family
Embarrassment
Embarrassment is hot, brief discomfort at being seen as you did not want. The face flushes, the ears burn, the head drops. The blush is involuntary and gives the feeling away. It is shorter and less identity-deep than shame.
Self-conscious family
Pleasantness and energy
Where each lives in the body
Shame
Face
Strong heat or tension
Head
Pressure, fullness, mental load
Chest
Hollow, sunken
Stomach
A sinking pull or knot
Shoulders
Slumped, dropped
Embarrassment
Face
Strong heat or tension
Head
Pressure, fullness, mental load
Ears
Sensation present
Chest
A faint pull
How long they last
Duration has not been measured for these words.
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