A Painted Blush

What is it, that thing we call embarrassment? A natural reaction to dumb actions? An indicator of social awkwardness? A beacon to show how we feel inside? No one knows for sure(hearsay, I really have no clue if there is a known cause for embarrassment but do you?) but I'm pretty sure I've got a good theory brewing. What purpose does embarrassment serve? Really think about this one and chew on it for a bit and when you finally get the computer out of your mouth look back at the page,and assuming its still in good shape, read this: i think you have a problem if you see embarrassment as something useful. Embarrassment is a created constraint, a lot like capitalization. But think about why. Its because you've been broken in. You've been trained like a pup. A particularly naughty pup too. The reason I called you, the gentle reader(hehe...gentle), a trained pup is because from a young age you were taught Right and Wrong. You were brought up to know and believe certain things and I'm not saying there is a problem with those great values your Mom and Pop instilled in you, but why did they teach you embarrassment. Before you try to argue that embarrassment isn't learned, have you ever seen an animal be embarrassed in the wild? I haven't and I've watched quite few shows on Animal Planet in my time. Not a single blush or hiding after slipping up. Why do humans need this too? SO that we're civilized I guess. But what about "uncivilized" people, yes even they have that silly thing called embarrassment, though the standards aren't the same as our own. Ridiculous, isn't it? That society deigns to control the color of your face. Is it right that someone else decides what makes you squirm? Probably not, but it happens. So next time you start to blush or feel awkward, just look around and ask yourself: "Who controls my emotional state?"