Blushing

I blush. I get embarrassed and my face turns red. Why?? Is there an evolutionary reason why a person's face would turn red when embarrassed?

 

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I can guess such a reaction would be beneficial in a social ape. It communicates a certain feeling in a silent, involuntary way.

 

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And maybe the silence was needed so as not to give location away to predators.A kinda silent communication.Or maybe not.

 

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thanks you two. I can understand it in times of anger and fear, but embarrassment? Must be a sad little side-affect.

 

I don't blush, but from inside feel like it when I feel embarrasment. But my sister does. Why?

 

To rat themselves out. Shame it doesn't work over the Internet.

 

what would be the purpose of knowing who is embarrassed? How does 'ratting themselves out' figure into embarrassment?

 

Because it gives the other group members more information which may be beneficial to the group as a whole.
Just hypothesizing of course.

 

How is it ever beneficial to know if someone is embarrassed? I'd rather know if someone is lying.

 

People are embarrassed if they screw something up, right? When asked they may blush.

On second thought, I remember reading about this once and I don't think I got it right.
I'll try to look it up.

 

This is one theory:

Ray Crozier is a psychology professor at University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom. He's concluded that blushing evolved as a means of enforcing the social codes to which we humans must adhere for our societies to function in a friendly manner. By blushing when we're embarrassed, we are showing others that we recognize we've just misstepped socially, and that we're paying the price for it. Others who see us blushing after an awkward situation understand from experience the unpleasant feelings we're undergoing at that moment, and blushing may serve as a nonverbal, physical apology for our mistake.
If the philosopher Thomas Hobbes was correct in his description of early societies as being "nasty, brutish and short" [source: Hobbes], then blushing may have developed as a means for displaying genuine regret over an insult to someone else. Since we humans are animals, too, a glance at our neighbors on the Tree of Life shows us that insults can lead to violence. As a result, animals have developed ways of displaying apologetic signs to show others they're sorry for what they've done.

So according to this theory it's an involuntary way to say you're sorry you screwed up.

This is another theory:

Another interpretation suggests that blushing is the opposite of contrition; it's the appearance of rage. This explanation posits that blushing is the result of one aspect of your personality coming under assault. The NPA theory of personality (Narcissism, Perfectionism, Aggression) says that three components form the basis of all personalities. These components can occur in varying degrees to form a variety of different personality types. The narcissistic (N) aspect is based on a quest for glory and recognition among one's peers. When this quest is derailed publicly -- say through an embarrassing situation -- we experience the surge of adrenaline and the ensuing blush.

http://health.howstuffworks.com/blush.htm/printable

 

This chap seems to agree with what I said earlier though:

Frans de Waal: "We're the only primate that (blushes] in response to embarrassing situations (shame] or when caught in a lie (guilt], and one wonders why we needed such an obvious signal to communicate these feelings. Blushing interferes with the manipulation of others."
He speculated on whether early humans were subjected to selection pressures to keep them honest.
http://news.scotsman.com/uk/Blushing-leaves-Darwin39s-theory-at.4924449.jp

 

This makes sense, but some people blush for (like was said) anger. I know someone that blushes just from excitement.
How would that tie into all this?

 

I don't think I blush, can you feel it?

 

I can't. I'm just told my face is getting red.

 

But doesn't natural selection work only directly on the phenotype (and to a lesser extent on the genes)?

Wouldn't the liar in the group who didn't go red have an advantage and pass his genes on to the next generation?

 

First off, I was just hypothesizing.
And as to your question, not if it was at a disadvantage of the entire group (including the one that got away with screwing up).

 

I don't see how not blushing would be a disadvantage to the entire group when it is clearly an advantage to the individual.

Have any examples?

 

Use your imagination. Come on..

 

Actually I just re-read your post where you talked about the guy getting away with screwing up. I understand where you're coming from now

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