Embarrassed, the female half of the couple cried. Score one for a masterful plan of deliberate humiliation to achieve a goal.
People hate being embarrassed.
Yet, they often intentionally embarrass others to send a message, control behavior, or attain certain goals. Sandra Petronio studies this behavior, known as strategic embarrassment. Effective strategic embarrassment takes skill and thought. Successful planners know their target's personality. They carefully choose the time and place.