Extremely embarrassed or humiliated, feeling intense shame about something. This emotion involves a deep sense of wounded pride and wanting to hide from others.
From Latin 'mortificare' meaning 'to kill' or 'make dead,' originally used in religious contexts to describe killing worldly desires. The emotional sense developed from the idea that shame makes one feel as if they could die from embarrassment.
Mortification activates the same neural pathways as physical pain, which is why we say embarrassment 'hurts.' Psychologically, it serves as a social regulatory mechanism, preventing us from repeating behaviors that might damage our reputation or group standing.
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