refusal to participate due to self consciousness is actually more embarrassing than participating. it took me a very long time to figure that out. abject fear of embarrassment is actually causing you to do things that are more embarrassing than what you fear. you are gonna be embarrassed anyway. let go and be free
One of my best friends in high school refused to dance, no matter how much we begged her. And when I'd go out on the dance floor and goof around and flail and make a fool of myself with everyone else she'd *endlessly* make fun of me about how bad a dancer I was and how embarrassing I was being, even long after the dance.Β
It really bothered me for a while until I looked over during once a dance when a whole group of us with no dancing ability whatsoever were just jumping around and moving our bodies and laughing and not giving a crap what we looked like because we were having fun and she was just... standing there. By herself. Shaking her head and rolling her eyes and mumbling how we all looked so stupid and were embarrassing ourselves but like... girl you're miserable and The Only person not having fun rn because you're terrified of looking foolish.Β
Isn't that way more embarrassing?Β
