7 ways to respond when someone embarrasses you

Humiliation can catch us by surprise and leave us paralyzed. People who make others feel bad usually seek that effect, creating feelings of shame and guilt through their actions.. But are there effective ways to respond when someone embarrasses you?

The answer is yes. Although it is difficult to avoid the feeling of helplessness and humiliation, shrinking in front of others is something that can be controlled. You may want to hide and disappear at that moment or strike back with all the strength you can muster. However, in the long run, is this really in our best interests?

There will always be people who humiliate others without caring too much about the damage they cause.. Ideally, you should try to stay away from those who have this habit, now you may not always have this option – their behavior may surprise us. So, below, we share some ideas to respond in these types of situations.

How does it feel to be humiliated?

We will all, at some point in our lives, encounter someone who makes us feel humiliated. But what does this feeling imply?

According to a study published in the Journal of Primary Preventionthe participants stated that The humiliation made them feel nullified, helpless, confused, paralyzed, or very angry.. In addition, they reported experiencing a kind of “hit” in the heart and an upset stomach.

Not to mention the trauma that this experience can leave over time, since They also stated that the experience is still alive and fresh in their memories..

If this has happened to you, you have surely experienced these feelings. However, It is important that we learn to protect ourselves from these situations by responding in the best way possible.. Below, we tell you how.

How to respond when someone embarrasses you?

When someone embarrasses us It is normal that we want to disappear, hide or be swallowed by the ground. And many times the discomfort experienced does not help us respond appropriately. That is why, below, we present some tips so that you can face the situation in the best possible way.

1. Try not to respond impulsively

What the person who humiliates may want is for you to act thoughtlessly., which can end up causing you even more damage. At first, your mind may get stuck; If this is the case, give yourself a moment to calm down.

2. Put the focus of attention on the other person

In the face of humiliation, your attention may turn inward, since you are the target of the aggression. So remember this idea: what is relevant about the situation is not that others see you humiliated, but that someone is subjecting another person to public ridicule.

Therefore, in the moments that you use to calm yourself, Try to find out what may have motivated the other person to behave that way. -People do not usually act only motivated by the intention to do harm.

It is possible that he did it without thinking, and understands the consequences of his actions within that margin that you grant him; Yes, in this space of time that you allow yourself, move away, to prevent him from continuing to hurt you.

Often, individuals who humiliate others have problems controlling their impulses – there is a desire to impose themselves or assert themselves, but not to humiliate. Ask directly, and calmly, why they force you to experience this situation. It is very likely that the person will not answer you directly, but it will be clear that the focus of attention should be them and not you.

3. “Can we talk in private?”

One of the best ways to respond when someone embarrasses you is keep calm and ask for an audition alone. In this way, you demonstrate at the same time that you do not want to subject him to the same humiliation that you just suffered and that his words do not have the capacity to hurt you.

4. Get out of the situation

Are you able to face the situation at that moment? If not, express that you don’t want to talk about it.. If there are people around, pretend they don’t exist: let them know that this is a private issue and that the other person is using a social pressure strategy.

5. Seek help

To overcome certain situations, especially those that involve serious abuse (sexual crimes, physical attacks, etc.), a support network is very necessary to help us overcome the consequences derived from the experience. Therefore, however you respond, Make sure you surround yourself with people who are on your side and help you.

6. Try not to act vindictively

When faced with humiliation, we can feel very intense anger – the temptation to hit back.-. However, this first impulse is not usually the one that has the best consequences for us. We can start a war that we have no interest in or cause damage that we later regret.

Emotional intelligence has a lot to do precisely with this point, directing the energy that emotions give us in ways that favor our interests.

7. Turn to authority figures

Humiliation is a type of abuse that is usually carried out from a superior position – from bosses to subordinates. Therefore, before taking matters into your own hands, seek the help of someone who can help you balance the power situation: teachers, human resources, police, etc. It is important that we act against this type of behavior, although this action does not have to be direct.

You don’t deserve to be embarrassed. If you have made a mistake or done something wrong, you must accept the consequences and try to repair the damage caused; In this case, humiliation does not contribute anything either. Therefore, the best way to respond when someone embarrasses you is to make it clear that they are not going to achieve anything positive from it.

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