Have you heard of behavioral experiments? The idea behind these little tricks is to pick something to do that would normally embarrass you or that you would try to avoid.
Start small and build up your ability to do these types of things. Do the easier ones first and the harder ones later.
Ideally these are things that make you feel a little or a lot embarrassed, but don't hurt anyone else.
For once, your goal is to become embarrassed or have others judge you! Below is a list of 20 ideas to get started.
- Dance in public as though there is music.
- Ask someone for directions to the place where you are.
- Pretend to fall down.
- Intentionally forget someone's name.
- Pretend to recognize someone you don't know.
- Sing in public.
- Pay entirely with pennies.
- Go up to a random person and say "How are you doing?"
- Ask for directions and then go the opposite way.
- Sit and read a magazine upside down.
- Wear something completely out of character for you (think high heels or cowboy boots).
- Ask for a discount on something.
- Wear something outlandish (like a crazy hat).
- Try to sell your stuff to telemarketers when they call you.
- Go to McDonalds and order a Whopper.
- Knock over your water in a restaurant.
- Go to a restaurant on your birthday and have them sing to you.
- Press the wrong button for someone in an elevator.
- Pay with the wrong bills.
- Show up late somewhere and make a spectacle of yourself.
What would you add to the list?
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I have the hardest time asking for a discount (# 12). My wife will give me a coupon, and I’ll sometimes “forget” to use it. For some reason, it’s embarrassing.
21. Get on an elevator and turn and face all of the other passengers.
Some of these are quite amusing (I’d love to do #14!) I think they could be pretty helpful too, though the hard bit is gathering the willpower to give it a go. I’d have no problem doing a couple (#10 and #15 for instance), but I’d find it extremely hard to do some of the others – though i suppose that’s the point!
By the way, couldn’t intentionally forgetting someone’s name be a bit hurtful for that person?
Reading some of these make my toes curl up!!
I once had a lens drop out of my glasses and had no idea. It made my workmates uproariously amused whilst I was embarrassed bigtime.
Wearing different shoes on each foot.
I also once had a fellow start talking to me in the next door toilet cubicle or at least I thought he was talking to me until I started to talk back. It turned out that he had rung somebody on his mobile phone.