Flustered Equals Faithful

Are you easily embarrassed? Do you blush if you’re clumsy and trip over something in public, or if you mistake an overweight woman for being pregnant? According to research from the University of California, this is actually a sign of trustworthiness and generosity.

Researchers found that embarrassment is one emotional signature of someone you can trust with valuable resources, that it’s part of the social glue that fosters trust and cooperation in everyday life.

They say this applies equally to employment and personal settings because easily embarrassed individuals make cooperative and reliable team members.

Moreover, this character trait bodes well for dating and relationship development since subjects who were more easily embarrassed reported higher levels of monogamy.

The researchers point out that the moderate type of embarrassment they examined should not be confused with debilitating social anxiety or with shame.