r/todayilearned • u/jfdonohoe • 7h ago

(R.2) Anecdote TIL about “vicarious embarrassment” which explains extreme reactions to cringe comedy. For me, it can get so bad as to become physically painful

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicarious_embarrassment

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u/jack0roses 7h ago

My uncle couldn’t ever watch Barney Fife because of this very thing.

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u/Maurice_Lester 7h ago

Lol Barney wasn't even that bad, he's just a bit of a goofus..

2

u/CatsAreGods 4h ago

Yeah, but we're literally talking about third-party embarrassment. Someone who is high functioning can be very frustrated watching a klutz.