It is not possible for someone else to embarrass you
“It’s not possible for someone else to embarrass you.
When you feel embarrassed by the actions of others,
you are choosing this feeling.”
This saying hits home for me in two ways.
One, for long periods in my life, I had friends around me who were always embarrassing me. I was ashamed of their actions.
Oddly, once they left my life or I left theirs, I found myself surrounded by people who were ashamed and embarrassed by my actions.
Later when I saw this saying, I realized this was about me not feeling comfortable with myself and trying to define myself by the people around me. In the first case when I was embarrassed, they were not living up to my expectations. And in the second case, I wasn’t living up to the expectations of others.
The truth is if I feel okay about myself, anything that someone around me does shouldn’t embarrass me. It’s not a reflection on me, it’s just what they’re doing.
Today I try to remember this saying. I also try to enjoy it when my friends and myself have fun, because it can be quite entertaining.
When I judge others it’s usually because I’m judging myself.