When people feel embarrassed about failure, the brain releases cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine, which creates a distortion of reality where threat perception dominates and risk-taking shuts down; this leads to avoidance behaviors that compound into chronic underperformance over decades.

causalpending

Speaker

Dr. Gio Valiante

Evidence Quote

when people feel embarrassed their brain starts create send signals where they create cortisol stress uh epinephrine adrenaline nor epinephrine their perceptions change so rather so when you're embarrassed rather than than see opportunity all you see is threat

Source

The Art of Failure: The Unexpected Path to Success (Audio)The Knowledge Project Podcast
Created: 8/11/2026, 1:28:39 AM

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