Why Do We Blush When We're Embarrassed?

Blushing happens when we feel embarrassed, and it’s like our face is giving us a little red flag that says, 'Hey, I’m feeling shy or awkward right now!' Our brain sends a message to our blood vessels in the face, telling them to widen so more blood flows there. That extra blood makes our skin look red, and voilà, we’re blushing! It’s like when you trip in front of your friends, and suddenly everyone can see your face turning pink.

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Examples

  1. You spill your drink during a presentation and feel your face turn red.
  2. Your friend makes a joke about you in front of everyone, and suddenly you’re blushing.
  3. You accidentally say the wrong name when introducing someone, and your face turns bright pink.

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Categories: Psychology · blushing· embarrassment· autonomic nervous system · Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.