Per a paper in the latest issue of the Journal of Consumer Psychology titled ""Wetting the Bed at Twenty-One: Embarrassment as a Private Emotion," people can feel just as embarrassed buying sensitive products in person as they would online. This seems to go against common knowledge, doesn't it? You'd think that people would feel less sheepish buying condoms, home test kits, tampons, and Viagra privately and online, but the study finds that not to be the case. Apparently, the mere act of purchasing the item causes consumers to judge themselves. When the purchase is made at the store, we can at least walk out and remove ourselves from the very context in which the "act" was committed. While the study found that the negative feelings associated with in-store purchases gradually dissipated, the intensity of embarrassment felt when buying the products online did not lessen. If you think about it, embarrassment is a powerful emotion. It's potent en...

Some couples are attached at the hip and thus are comfortable doing anything and everything in front of each other. Other pairs, however, set clear boundaries: If it's something they wouldn't do in front of their parents or friends, then it is off limits. Period. Here are a couple of examples of things people might be embarrassed to do in front of their partners: Pass gas Vomit Use the restroom (#1 and/or #2) Change pads/tampons Weigh themselves I'm all for doing as much together as possible, but there should be dividing lines. For example, does your partner really have to see you use the restroom? Just because you love each other doesn't mean you have to witness each other do everything. At the end of the day, we should still strive to maintain some degree of autonomy.  I would understand being present while your partner, say, vomits or has a bowel movement if it involves some health issue he or she needs help with. But if that isn't the case, I t...