Humiliation Vs. Embarassment; Pt. II

I am inclined to believe that when it comes to dissecting the tenets of humiliation vs. embarrassment, embarrassment is something that occurs more on the surface. Humiliation takes place on a deeper level, hitting at the very core of one's being. Egos are more often involved in simple embarrassment, whereas one's ideas of self concept and values get shaken through exposure to humiliation. The boy who asks a girl to dance only to be rejected by a "no, thank you" perhaps feels embarrassed for a short time afterward. The boy who asks a girl to dance only to be laughed at by she and her friends for having the nerve to think this cheerleader goddess would be caught dead dancing with the likes of him--that boy will become more familiar with the concept of humiliation. I also tend to think that when we are talking about embarrassment we are referring to things that impact one's psyche in the short term, perhaps immediately following the incident, but not necessarily for much longer. When referring to the effects of humiliation, the impact is of a longer lasting duration and often creates a shift in one's outlook and ideas of self perception.

Does it do any good to analyze all of this? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Do we need to intellectualize why or how certain things have the power to make us feel or respond in certain ways? Not necessarily. Do I love to analyze the psychology of eroticism--you bet! I am a social scientist at heart and will never tire of trying to figure out what makes people tick cognitively AND emotionally.

I'd also be willing to posit a theory that the higher one's intellect is the more inclined he or she may be to participate in forms of BDSM and erotic humiliation; either as the humilator or humiliatee. The more we evolve in our technology and our capacity to take in massive amounts of information grows, the more we need to push other boundaries. (The writings of a Canadian philosophy professor by the name of Mark Kingwell explore how current events and "extreme" behaviors and acts are a mere reflection of the anxiety society feels because for all of our modern day advancements, we have simply become removed from ourselves and one another) The more we feel removed from one another and even from ourselves, the more extreme our desires can get. Though, as a playmate of mine recently pointed out, there is a very delicate balance to be had when playing these games. It is easy to over do it and if the spirit in which erotic humiliation or other forms of BDSM are partaken in happen to be of a downright mean and abusive nature, then it is more likely that it will not produce the intended (positive) result.

Cruelly yours,
The Malignatrix