Everything is Embarrassing

Or is it? 

By Angelica Marin 

I remember when I first arrived at BU in 2024; a fresh-faced, CGS freshman, waltzing into campus mid-January with no idea what Boston had in store for me. However, what I remember most was the pervasive embarrassment that followed me around during my first few weeks.

Every time I tripped over the uneven sidewalk on Bay State, gave an awkward hello, or overshared a bit too much with a new friend, my face grew hot with shame. About three or four weeks in, I was on the phone with my mom, telling her how it felt like every day was a new opportunity to embarrass myself, when she bestowed upon me a piece of advice that I will never forget. 

“You’re not embarrassing yourself, you’re just too sure that somebody is watching.” 

Everything is embarrassing when you have an audience. The potential for humiliation multiplies with every person you tell yourself is watching. The unfortunate thing about being in college, especially at a school as big as BU, is that somebody probably is watching. 

People are always around, whether that’s in common areas, studying, eating, hanging out with friends, or one of the millions of other things BU students do. At a very active and high-achieving school like BU, of course people will be out and about, minding their business, and on occasion, bearing witness to your “embarrassing” shortcomings. The beautiful thing about it, though, is that they will forget it the second after it happens. 

My hometown is about half an hour outside of New York City, and every time I go, I am reminded of how truly free you can be when you’re surrounded by strangers. Anonymity can feel like an escape. While the dynamic at BU is slightly different, the sentiment is the same. When people don’t know you personally, when they can’t laugh along with your embarrassing moments, they truly don’t care what you do.  

It’s slightly uncomfortable to wrap our heads around the inherently self-absorbed nature of humans, but it’s a true phenomenon. It’s particularly true in the case of older adolescents, also known as college-aged kids. We’re all too focused on our own lives to remember the girl who tripped on the crosswalk or even the pledge who took his shirt off in the middle of the GSU. No one really cares what you do. Live uninhibitedly, especially in the face of the perceptions of others.