Do you remember the days of playing truth or dare? Sitting in a circle with your best friends at a sleepover, this beloved game was the best way to bond with peers. It was an opportunity to exhibit bravery and vulnerability, while also getting to laugh at your friends as they dove headfirst into silly dares. However, the game did have inherent risks, and in the back of your mind you knew there was always a chance you’d be asked the most dreaded question: what is your most embarrassing moment?

Though we get older, our appetite for embarrassing stories never seems to go away. Last week, Reddit user Konke420xd asked people to share the most embarrassing moments they’ve ever witnessed, and boy, did they deliver. Thankfully for us, this list is a safe space to read other people’s humiliating stories without worrying about our own being exposed, so feel free to laugh as loudly as you want. Enjoy these cringe-worthy stories, and if you aren’t in too much pain from secondhand embarrassment by the end, be sure to check out Bored Panda’s last story featuring mortifying moments right here.

#1

We were doing a math final in junior year of high school. They made a huge deal of saying everyone should use the restroom etc, saying you’d fail if you got out of your seat before your test was done.

About halfway through the exam a girl two seats ahead, and one to the left, starts peeing relentlessly. She didn’t stop taking the exam, look at anyone or try and leave. She released easily 20 oz of fluid. Urine was spilling out of the chair like a faucet for probably 15-20 seconds.

Everyone’s looking at her, the teacher visibly mouths “what the F**K”. No one knows what to do.

This poor girl just finished her exam, probably another 20 minutes’ worth, and left.Image credits: bwchronos

Embarrassment is a feeling we’re all familiar with. Whether you experience it frequently or if you have one particularly painful memory seared into your brain, no one is immune to the feeling. And although many of us hate being embarrassed for obvious reasons, we tend to love hearing other people share their most mortifying moments. Telling friends and family about a painfully embarrassing moment requires vulnerability because, let’s be honest, the reaction is often going to be laughter. But these stories can also be incredibly endearing. Who wants intimidating friends who have never had food stuck in their teeth on a date or waved back to someone who wasn’t actually waving at them? Embarrassing moments are a part of the human experience, and whether we like it or not, they’re just a reminder that nobody can be polished 100% of the time.

#2

I was a sophomore in HS (so around 16) taking the last leg of my county’s sex ed class. It was a co-ed day, so our full gym class of about 30 kids was in the room. Topic was STD’s. The teacher mentioned oral sex a few times and I guess which diseases can be spread through it. One guy who was always pretty quiet and shy raised his hand and said “I just don’t really understand how you can get an STD from talking about sex…”

It took everyone, including the teacher, a few seconds to understand, but some quiet laughter came from a few students. the teacher then of course had to explain as simply as she could that oral sex did not in fact mean talking about sex (I think the stupid bylaws of the program in our county didn’t allow her to fully disclose what it was).

Anyway, we thought he was joking but as he heard the laughter from everyone after getting this explained to him, he slowly put his head down and covered his face for the next few minutes. Poor guy. I felt bad, but it was hard not to laugh. At least no one directly gave him s**t for it afterwardImage credits: shlumpy_dumpyyyyy

#3

Alright, so my husband and I were driving around the city and it was pouring outside. Absolutely pouring. We were about to pass the lightrail train tracks (going in both directions) when the crossing gates came down because the lightrail was approaching.

One idiot in a van decided he could make it across before the gates came all the way down. He kept on driving, but he did not make it. Instead, his vehicle was now trapped between the gates.

We could see from our car that this person was PANICKING. His life was flashing before his eyes. In his movie mind, the lightrail was about to crash into the van and drag it for dozens of yards before finally stopping… so he did what anyone would do. He violently pushed the door open and RAN in the pouring rain for his life.

He was halfway down the street before he stopped, turned around, and noticed that the lightrail was patiently waiting for him to move the vehicle. The door was still open. My husband and I just about pissed ourselves laughing.Image credits: JoyceReardon

Now, you may be thinking: I never get embarrassed because I never do anything stupid. And it is true that some people have a higher threshold for embarrassment, but some things are just out of our control. So to anyone who claims they never do anything embarrassing, I raise you some of the following examples from College Times’ list of “Embarrassing Moments We’ve All Experienced”. Ever tried to take a picture of someone else or in a dark room and your camera flash went off? How about this one: accidentally sending a text about someone you know to that person.

Even small encounters that only cause a brief moment of embarrassment count, like going to drink something and spilling it on yourself or tripping while walking down the street. Have you ever walked in on someone using the bathroom, or worse, had someone walk in on you? Maybe your stomach has growled loudly while sitting in a silent room, or you’ve accidentally liked a photo from three years ago while stalking a crush on Instagram. Perhaps you’ve realized halfway through the day that you put on your shirt inside out that morning or accidentally fallen asleep on a stranger’s shoulder on an airplane. Okay, you get the idea. The point is: we’ve all been there.  

#4

I was watching a symphony orchestra concert at the Sydney Opera House one evening. The concert hall foyer has these huge glass windows beneath the sails that overlook the harbourside. The sun hadn’t quite set yet, and every audience member that was exiting the hall could see this incredibly drunk middle aged couple having sex on a bench outside the hall.Image credits: cowbelljazz

#5

A guy making a cringey tap song as a proposal in a public restaurant and getting on one knee only for the girl to go quiet and look around and say “Justin, no! Wtf seriously?” Image credits: SupaDupaDupaDupa

#6

I saw my neighbor get a pizza delivery from two pizza guys (one must have been training) and he must have tried to say “have a great night” and “thanks guys” at the same time and ended up saying “have a great gays!” and the two guys just stopped and looked and my neighbor just shut his door and that neighbor was actually meImage credits: xsc888

Though you may try to avoid it at all costs, embarrassment does not have to be the bane of your existence. Stephanie Vozza wrote a piece for Fast Company explaining “Why Embarrassment Can Be A Good Thing” and even provided some tips on how to handle it. According to Dr. Susan David, a Harvard Medical School psychologist and author of the book Emotional Agility, “Embarrassment is what is called a ‘self-conscious’ emotion; something that we experience in relation to others when we make a mistake or behave in a way that is against social norms or standards.” Though this can be perceived as a negative emotion, it can actually yield benefits. David notes that people who openly feel and express embarrassment are more likely to be trusted and forgiven than people who bottle up their embarrassment.

#7

I used to work in nightclubs. I once witnessed a girl leaning against a wall, casually flirting with a guy and as she laughed she actually s**t herself. She was wearing a white dress and there was no hiding what had happened. The smell actually cleared the whole level of the club. She ran out crying. We had to clean poo off the floor where she had been standing. I often wonder what she is doing now…Image credits: Vaiken_Vox