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captaincocanutty's review
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.0
Fun little read, it's a condensed and more accessible read about the science of cringing. I listened to the audiobook and think that enhanced my reading experience. It's light-hearted with the key points of various scientific articles (that are all included in the sources section of the book) mixed in with personal anecdotes.
There are some editing choices that might have bothered me a bit more if I were physically reading it, but I felt like the authors personality really came through in the audiobook and made it feel more conversational.
There are some editing choices that might have bothered me a bit more if I were physically reading it, but I felt like the authors personality really came through in the audiobook and made it feel more conversational.
yvkhan's review
4.0
As someone who often finds himself in embarrassing situations, this was very relatable, fun and heartening. It’s a very humorous and personal read overall and as someone who doesn’t read non-fiction very often, this book really sped by quite quickly. I do think that Dahl’s disparate recounts of her experiences makes it a little hard to follow at times, but overall, I do feel like I’ve learnt something in a way? And even if I didn’t, this was really funny, so.
darnellbrandon's review
5.0
I wasn't really sure what to expect when I picked up this book, but I really liked it. I found it relatable, and the way it addresses of the universal awkwardness we all share was insightful.
hasnow's review
To be honest, I had been hoping for more stories of embarrassment. This has more psychological depth than I was expecting, but once I changed my expectations, I learned some things!
Props to the author for fully delving into all those awkward situations.
Props to the author for fully delving into all those awkward situations.
niniane's review
5.0
Interesting explanations about why we feel embarrassed or cringe.
- Seeing yourself from a new perspective. You suddenly see your personality from a less flattering viewpoint, and it attacks your self-identity.
This can become a positive thing because you would be at "the growing edge", becoming a better person.
- Contempt is a way to avoid rejection. You look down on the other person so that you don't have to feel rejected.
- We often try to cut away pieces of our prior selves, such as our teenage insecurity. We have not incorporated that into our self-identity, so when someone reminds us of that, we feel embarrassed that that's who we once were.
This reminded me of horcruxes in Harry Potter.
I think I'm able to turn embarrassing moments into a growing experience, but then I do push away my past self and hide it as far from my current self as possible. I think it's because I've been mocked a lot in the past. I'm going to do better at eliminating mocking people from my life, so that I can embrace all the parts of myself.
- Seeing yourself from a new perspective. You suddenly see your personality from a less flattering viewpoint, and it attacks your self-identity.
This can become a positive thing because you would be at "the growing edge", becoming a better person.
- Contempt is a way to avoid rejection. You look down on the other person so that you don't have to feel rejected.
- We often try to cut away pieces of our prior selves, such as our teenage insecurity. We have not incorporated that into our self-identity, so when someone reminds us of that, we feel embarrassed that that's who we once were.
This reminded me of horcruxes in Harry Potter.
I think I'm able to turn embarrassing moments into a growing experience, but then I do push away my past self and hide it as far from my current self as possible. I think it's because I've been mocked a lot in the past. I'm going to do better at eliminating mocking people from my life, so that I can embrace all the parts of myself.