F. Diane Barth/ Psychology Today
One researcher says that people who described feeling humiliated said that they felt “wiped out, helpless, confused, sick in the gut, paralyzed, or filled with rage. It was as if they were made small, stabbed in the heart, or hit in the solar plexus. Usually, they felt themselves flushing and wished they could disappear. No matter how many years have passed, the experience remains vivid and fresh in their minds” (Klein, 1991). Humiliated patients in a study of doctor-patient relationships felt exposed or stigmatized, diminished, deficient, and degraded. A common response to being humiliated is to want to hide, to sink into the ground, or to disappear. And often, when we’re humiliated, we lose all ability to take action.
1. Take your time to respond.
2. Don’t take it personally.
3. Get out of the situation.
4. Understand the other person’s motivation.
5. Know that you are not alone.
6. Be careful about retaliating.
7. Find a way to move forward.
The real work in such a case is not to allow the person to damage your self-esteem. Support from others, like colleagues, friends, teachers, and mentors, is crucial. It also doesn’t hurt to keep a log of what has happened.