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Comic Discussion => QUESTIONABLE CONTENT => Topic started by: Scott Haley on 15 Jul 2008, 22:04

Title: Could a person die of embarrassment?
Post by: Scott Haley on 15 Jul 2008, 22:04
I'm not sure.  I read about a guy who died because he was too embarrassed to excuse himself to go to the bathroom, but that's not the same thing.  Apoplexy is being so angry that you die.  People can be so sad that they lose the will to live and die of despair.  People have died laughing at incredibly funny things, which would be a decent way to go.  Is there a doctor reading this who knows?
Title: Re: Could a person die of embarrassment?
Post by: Rocketman on 16 Jul 2008, 00:45
Let's experiment on Hanners.
Title: Re: Could a person die of embarrassment?
Post by: bbqrocks on 16 Jul 2008, 05:15
I suppose it is possible to have a heart attack or something because of embarrassment, but I don't think it's actually possible to just die because of embarassment.
Title: Re: Could a person die of embarrassment?
Post by: Rosey on 16 Jul 2008, 06:52
When embarased people tend to turn red and feel flushed, does that mean your body is heating up? hehehe, I can see it now, Hanners spontaniously combusting from embarasement.  :evil:
Title: Re: Could a person die of embarrassment?
Post by: Surgoshan on 16 Jul 2008, 07:15
Embarrassment is a stress on the system, and any weakness in the system subject to such stress can fault and break and possibly lead to death.  In the case of embarrassment, I'd expect circulatory stress to be the biggest problem, followed by respiratory.  A side effect of either of those could be unconsciousness, which could lead to other trauma not directly caused by the stress (falling down can hurt, especially if you fall on, for example, knives or the front of a moving bus).
Title: Re: Could a person die of embarrassment?
Post by: Rosey on 16 Jul 2008, 07:16
I still prefer my spontanious combustion scenario, but the going squish by a bus deserves merit.  :evil:
Title: Re: Could a person die of embarrassment?
Post by: JReynolds on 16 Jul 2008, 16:48
The Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546-1601) was supposed to have died due to overstraining his bladder at a banquet. According to Wikipedia (for what it's worth:

Quote
For hundreds of years, the general belief was that he had strained his bladder. It had been said that to leave the banquet before it concluded would be the height of bad manners, and so he remained, and that his bladder, stretched to its limit, developed an infection which later killed him. This theory was supported by Kepler's first-hand account.

Recent investigations have suggested that Tycho did not die from urinary problems but instead from mercury poisoning: extremely toxic levels of it have been found in his hair and hair-roots. Tycho may have poisoned himself by imbibing some medicine containing unintentional mercuric chloride impurities, or may have been poisoned.

The article goes on to state that there is circumstantial evidence that Kepler, one of Brahe's colleagues, was the poisoner.
Title: Re: Could a person die of embarrassment?
Post by: The Albatross on 22 Jul 2008, 13:02
I just lost my fuckin' wallet, so I'm definitely in danger of dying from apoplexy.

Eighty dollars down the shitter, just like that.

I think I just burst an artery.
Title: Re: Could a person die of embarrassment?
Post by: tomselleck69 on 22 Jul 2008, 13:29
What I am saying here is that everything you ever believed in was a lie.

My mind is on fire...

NO!! I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THIS!

JERRY HOLKINS IS TYCHO!!!


arrrrghhhhh now i go to apostatize