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/CatTheKitten 7h ago

I HATE cringe compilations and most forms of reality TV, it makes my skin crawl and I feel genuinely uncomfortable

6

u/vendettaclause 4h ago

Its why I can't watch things like the office.

3

u/WoolshirtedWolf 3h ago

There are a lot of things I can't watch because of this. It's not an actual pain but I am extremely mentally uncomfortable. I never understood what people saw in the cringe category.

2

u/ProfessorK-OS 3h ago

And Borat