You Just Embarrassed Yourself in Front of Everyone – Research Found One Reaction That Can Improve How They See You

I’ve worked in communication and PR for more than 21 years, and I still think one of the hardest moments to handle well is knowing what to do after embarrassing yourself in public – and these moments are almost unavoidable. I’ve had them too.

I’m not talking about a serious error with real consequences. I mean the awkward mistake that gives you half a second to decide whether to explain, apologize, pretend it didn’t happen, or wish the floor would open.

I know the urge to over-explain because I used to do it too. I would say enough in the first sentence, then add context, reassurance, and details nobody had asked for because I wanted to make sure there was no room for a bad interpretation.

Of course, all those extra explanations kept everyone’s attention on the very thing I wanted them to forget.

At the time, explaining more seemed safer than leaving people to form their own opinion. New research suggests that another reaction – one many people try to suppress – may leave a better impression than visible embarrassment.

I am including below not only the desired reaction, but also when and how to use it, when it is inappropriate or not enough, and I am adding examples too, including a video.

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The Reaction That Changed People’s Impressions

The reaction was amusement – a natural smile or laugh at your own mistake.

The researchers also found a point at which this reaction stops helping and can make people judge you more harshly.

In six preregistered studies involving 3,204 people, Selin Goksel, Övül Sezer, and Jonathan Z. Berman examined how observers judged someone who had committed a faux pas. The research was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology in 2026.

When the mistake caused little or no harm, participants rated the amused person as warmer, more competent, and more authentic than the person who showed embarrassment. Their ratings of morality stayed roughly the same.

The scenarios included familiar blunders such as walking into a glass door at a party or waving to the wrong person at a theater.

According to the American Psychological Association, participants saw an actor respond either with embarrassment or by laughing at the mistake. The researchers tested different versions of the situations and also changed the amount of harm caused by the mistake.

The studies used controlled scenarios, so they obviously cannot reproduce every detail of an office meeting, job interview, family dinner, or crowded airport. But all six studies produced the same general pattern.

Why Visible Embarrassment Can Make a Harmless Mistake Feel Bigger

Embarrassment has a social purpose. It can show that you recognize a norm, care about other people’s reactions, and aren’t ignoring what happened.

In the studies, both embarrassment and amusement served an appeasement function.

The difference appeared when the embarrassment seemed much stronger than the harmless blunder called for.

Observers read that reaction as excessive self-consciousness, as though the person had turned a minor event into something much more serious. A smile or laugh showed that the person had noticed the mistake and understood that no real harm had been done.

A brief laugh can also remove some of the pressure from the people around you. They know you noticed what happened, so they don’t have to decide whether to acknowledge it or immediately reassure you.

Small reactions like this can influence how quickly people trust you, especially when you make an uncomfortable interaction easier for everyone involved.

With one short acknowledgment, people can smile and continue without wondering whether the moment still needs to be addressed. It may also make you seem easier to talk to.

Once everyone has moved on, leave the mistake there instead of bringing it back with another joke.

The Question You Need to Answer Before You Laugh

Ask one question first: Did anyone get hurt, inconvenienced, disrespected, or placed at risk?

If I stumbled over a word, walked into the wrong meeting room, or waved at the wrong person, I would probably smile or laugh briefly, then continue with what I was doing.

Adding an apology and a long explanation would only make such a small incident more uncomfortable.

Laughter can sound careless when someone has actually been hurt, inconvenienced, disrespected, or placed at risk.

The researchers found that its reputational benefit weakened as the harm increased and could eventually reverse.

Damage to property, confidential information displayed on a screen, an insulting remark, or a professional error with real consequences require a serious response. The person affected needs to know that you understand what happened.

There is also a middle ground.

Calling someone by the wrong name, giving an incorrect date, or attributing an idea to the wrong colleague causes no physical harm, but another person is still affected. Correct the mistake, apologize in proportion, and continue.

For a minor error, knowing what to say instead of sorry can prevent an unnecessary apology from becoming the focus of the conversation.

When another person has been affected, apologize sincerely.

What to Do in the First Five Seconds

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After years of client calls, meetings, presentations, and training rooms, I know I won’t invent a brilliant recovery line while my face is burning and everyone is looking at me.

I rely instead on four simple things I can remember even in that uncomfortable moment.

1. Check the Effect, Not the Intensity of Your Embarrassment

Your face may be burning even though the event itself was harmless.

Before you respond, ask whether somebody lost time, money, credit, privacy, comfort, or safety.

Your embarrassment can feel enormous even when the effect on everyone else was minimal.

2. Acknowledge the Moment

A natural smile, a small laugh, or a short comment tells other people that you noticed.

Pretending nothing happened can prolong the discomfort because everyone else saw it too and may now be wondering whether they should react.

“Well, that came out wrong,” or “Let me try that sentence again” is often enough.

Say it in your normal voice and finish the thought.

3. Repair What Needs Repairing

Replace incorrect information immediately.

If you interrupted someone, apologize and let them finish. Use the correct name as soon as you notice the mistake. If your error created a problem, explain how you will fix it.

One imperfect word is rarely the whole reason people stop taking you seriously.

Correct the information clearly and stop there. If you keep adding details, you are directing even more attention toward the initial mistake.

4. Return to What You Were Doing

Once you have acknowledged the mistake, return to the presentation, finish the story, ask the question again, or pick up the papers and continue.

If you remain focused on the incident, other people have little opportunity to move away from it either.

If the discussion has already drifted toward the awkward moment, use the next point or question to change the subject.

An elaborate joke or an obvious attempt to escape can keep everyone’s attention on a mistake that might otherwise have lasted only a few seconds.

What a Good Recovery Can Sound Like

You don’t need to memorize a perfect sentence. Choose wording that sounds like something you would genuinely say and adapt it to the setting and the person in front of you.

During a Presentation

If you lose your place or say something in the wrong order, try:

“I lost my place for a second. Let me start that part again.”

Or:

“That came out backwards. What I meant was…”

Then return to the information.

Avoid adding a long story about how tired you are, how little time you had to prepare, or why the slide confused you. That explanation keeps the audience’s attention on a slip they might otherwise have forgotten quickly.

In a Job Interview

If your answer goes off course, you can say:

“I answered a different question there. Let me come back to what you asked.”

When you can’t remember a word, smile and say:

“I can’t find the word I want, so let me rephrase that.”

Keep the humor understated in a formal interview. Correct yourself and answer the question without turning the mistake into something the interviewer now has to discuss or reassure you about.

When You Use the Wrong Name

Say the correct name and apologize briefly:

“Maria – sorry. I used the wrong name.”

Then continue.

Don’t make the other person part of the joke, and don’t launch into an explanation about everyone you know with a similar name or appearance.

Use the right name, offer the apology, and return to the conversation.

When You Trip, Drop Something, or Walk Into the Wrong Place

If nobody was hurt and nothing was damaged, you might say:

“Well, that was graceful.”

Or:

“Right room, wrong entrance.”

You can also simply smile while you fix the problem. You don’t need to produce a clever line every time something awkward happens.

On a Video Call

If you speak while muted, share the wrong window, or stumble over an explanation, you might say:

“You just got the rehearsal version. Let me try that again.”

If private information appears on the screen, though, stop sharing immediately and deal with the privacy issue before you say anything funny.

Laughing at Yourself Is Different From Attacking Yourself

If someone says, “That was awkward,” I can smile and continue.

If they call themselves an idiot, I immediately feel that I should reassure them.

Instead of returning to the conversation, we are now discussing whether they are stupid, whether the mistake was terrible, and whether everyone is judging them.

Keep the joke attached to the incident, not to yourself as a person.

Repeated remarks about being hopeless, stupid, or incapable make other people responsible for contradicting you. They also keep bringing everyone back to what happened.

Romanian has no shortage of vivid expressions for making a mess of something.

One of my favorite examples from these Romanian sayings literally means “to put snot in the beans.” It describes making a very visible, embarrassing mess of something. I love it as an expression. I wouldn’t recommend translating it in the middle of a client meeting 🙂 .

What If Laughing Doesn’t Feel Natural?

You may not feel like laughing at all, especially while the embarrassment is still fresh.

Don’t force it. A staged laugh can sound more uncomfortable than the original mistake.

You can smile and say:

“Let me correct that.”

Or:

“Wrong word. What I meant was…”

Then continue with your thought in the same tone you were using before the mistake.

Embarrassment can make you freeze, and nervous laughter can appear even in a serious situation.

Pay attention to what your face and voice are doing before the automatic reaction takes over. With a little emotional awareness, you can catch the reaction and adjust it.

The studies focused on how observers interpreted visible amusement and embarrassment. In an actual conversation, calmly acknowledging the mistake is another option when laughter doesn’t come naturally.

How to Stop Replaying an Embarrassing Mistake Later

Three hours later, the sentence you wish you had used finally arrives.

You can still hear the pause and remember one person’s expression, even though everyone else appeared to continue with their day.

The spotlight effect may partly explain why the moment feels so much more prominent to you.

In 2000, Thomas Gilovich, Victoria Husted Medvec, and Kenneth Savitsky published research on the spotlight effect, showing that people tend to overestimate how much others notice their actions and appearance.

People do remember some mistakes, particularly when someone was affected or the incident changed what happened next.

But they may have paid far less attention to your harmless stumble than you imagine. You experienced the embarrassment from the inside, with the physical discomfort and self-consciousness that came with it. They watched it briefly and then returned to their own concerns.

One exercise can help separate the incident from everything you later added to it.

Write one sentence containing only what happened:

“I forgot her name and corrected myself.”

Then write down what you believe other people concluded:

“Everyone now thinks I’m incompetent.”

Read the two sentences separately.

Unless somebody said it or later behaved differently toward you, the second sentence is something you fear rather than something you know.

Fear of being judged can make neutral details look like evidence.

Someone checking their phone, pausing before answering, or speaking less may have nothing to do with your mistake.

If you regularly worry about the signs someone is judging you, look for a consistent change in their behavior rather than one expression during an uncomfortable minute.

If something still needs to be repaired, do it.

Send the corrected figure, credit the right colleague, replace the file, or apologize to the person affected.

Then decide on one practical change you can make before a similar situation happens again. Check every name before the next call, verify the figures before sending the file, or prepare the presentation differently.

You now have something useful to do rather than another reason to replay the memory.

When the Mistake Wasn’t Harmless

When a mistake has cost someone time or money, compromised privacy, caused offense, or created a risk, begin with the facts.

Say what happened and acknowledge how it affected the other person.

Apologize without expecting them to make you feel better. Explain how you will fix the problem, include a timeframe when you have one, and follow through.

For example:

“I sent the incorrect total, and I know you used it to prepare the report. I’m sorry. The corrected document is attached, and I’m checking the remaining figures now.”

Wait until the problem has been addressed before introducing humor.

Take responsibility, make the repair, and give the other person time to respond.

In the studies, the favorable ratings for amusement faded as harm increased and could eventually reverse.

Conclusion

I do have an example for you – a soprano started a bis and sang the wrong words. Yes, a famous singer – but guess what: she laughs, and the entire hall does too, and the conductor.

I still remember embarrassing things I did years ago. Some return with enough detail to make me cringe all over again, even though I couldn’t tell you what anyone else in the room said five minutes later.

These days, I try to resist filling the silence with explanations. I correct the mistake, apologize if someone was affected, and continue. 

Questions About Recovering From an Embarrassing Mistake

What Should I Do Immediately After Embarrassing Myself?

Before deciding whether to laugh, check whether anyone was harmed or inconvenienced. For a harmless mistake, smile, acknowledge it briefly, and continue. If another person was affected, apologize and repair the problem before trying to lighten the mood.

Does Laughing at Yourself Make People Like You More?

Yes, in the situations tested by the researchers. Across six preregistered studies involving 3,204 participants, people who displayed amusement after a harmless faux pas were rated as warmer, more competent, and more authentic than those who displayed embarrassment.

The favorable results concerned mistakes that caused minimal or no harm.

Is It Professional to Laugh at a Mistake at Work?

A brief, natural laugh can be appropriate after a harmless verbal stumble, minor technology problem, or awkward moment.

Errors involving clients, money, deadlines, privacy, safety, or another person’s work need a direct acknowledgment and an explanation of how you will repair the problem.

Should I Apologize After an Embarrassing Mistake?

Apologize if another person was affected, you created extra work, you gave incorrect information, or your behavior was disrespectful.

If nobody was affected, a smile and a quick correction may be enough.

Why Do I Keep Cringing at Embarrassing Mistakes I Made Years Ago?

You experienced the embarrassment from the inside, with all the physical discomfort and self-consciousness that came with it. Everyone else saw the moment from the outside.

Research on the spotlight effect suggests that people tend to overestimate how much others notice their actions and appearance.

Write down what actually happened and then, separately, what you believe other people concluded. Unless you have evidence for the second part, don’t treat it as a fact.

What Can I Do If I Can’t Laugh at Myself?

Use a calm acknowledgment instead.

“Let me try that again,” “I used the wrong word,” or “Let me correct that” allows you to recognize the mistake and continue without forcing a laugh.

Violeta Loredana

Violeta-Loredana Pascal is a communications expert, business mentor, and the founder of Earth’s Attractions and PRwave INTERNATIONAL. A pioneer in the Romanian digital PR landscape since 2005, she holds a degree in Communication and Social Sciences from SNSPA Bucharest. Violeta is a senior trainer at AcademiadeAfaceri.ro, where she leverages over 20 years of experience to teach professional courses in PR strategy and workplace productivity. By blending high-level business consulting with a passion for holistic travel and wellness, she empowers solopreneurs to overcome procrastination, build profitable brands, and design a life of purposeful adventure.