From: charanl@aol.com (CharanL)
Subject: Embarrassment
Date: 19 Mar 1995 20:09:50 -0500

 just read a terrific book called

Embarrassment in Everyday Life by Dr. Edward Gross

"Writer Dorothy Parker was once invited to a dinner party by the wife of a
movie studio executive named Peabody. Mrs. Peabody delivered the
invitation in person and after she left, Miss Parker turned to her
secretary and said:  "After a decent interval, write a note to those
illiterate, phony bores that I can't make their damned party..."

Just then, she was interrupted by the sudden reappearance of Mrs. Peabody
who overhead the remark. Without a pause Miss Parker continued:

...because I'm dining that evening with the Peabodys."

Now that is how we should all recover from embarrassing situations, but of
course we do not. Most often we stop dead in our tracks and the
interaction stops abruptly.

The books if full of fun advice about situations such as

-what to do when your friends are singing you happy birthday. (I stand
there red in the face)
-what to do when your boss calls you and you are not home and you just
called in sick.
-what to do when your child whines loudly for food or goodies in the
grocery store.
-or just called somebody by their dog's name, or just don't remember who
the heck they are.

And what do we do when we are embarrassed, besides wanting to sink into
the ground:

A candid camera research showed that we often resort to particular
gestures, of the 254 people surveyed when they were caught in an
embarrassing situation

48% - put one or both hands over face, eyes or mouth.
44% - touched their face, hair or neck
73% - turned head down or to one side or the body turned away.

Dr. Gross who is a professor of Sociology at University of Washington,
offers humorous suggestions for these and many other situations that are
firmly rooted in the psychological basis of what is embarrassment and what
works to dispel it. He offers insights on what is embarrassment, and how
to successfully manage it with illustrative ancedotes which alone make it
a great read.

I think for a light-hearted approach to a problem we all step into
ocassionally, get this book. 

If you can't find this book in your bookstore, try the publisher:

ETC Publications
700 East Vereda del Sur
Palm Springs, CA 92262-4816
800-382-7869