Reflection On Urban Cringology

My eyes dart from Urban Beaching to Modern Creek to Human Fights. They linger a bit on Poilosophy. I knew UChicago was quirky, but not to the extent of eliminating common majors! As I kept looking, bemused by the many unconventional subjects, one particular department caught my attention: Endocringology. For sure, I 've heard of endocrinology, but I was amazed that UChicago offered the study of the endocrine system as an interdisciplinary minor alongside the study of cringe. In particular, the word conjured up the awkward puberty years and their lingering aftereffects. In fact, puberty for me was like having a head start in a race, but running out of steam half-way to the finish line. Unfortunately, people still mistake me for an eighth-grader,

I have certainly experienced my fair share of these situations when trying to be edgy and cool. Of course, I thought they were perfectly rational decisions back then, which is why I did them. However, there is an element of socialization that causes our adult selves to have similar feelings of embarrassment as those who witnessed the moment in the past. I am unsure whether it is our biology of growing up to have the capacity of empathy that lets us put ourselves in the shoes of the bystanders back then or if we are just socialized so that we now know that what we did then was

To study such a social phenomenon as embarrassment is inextricably linked with both the person themselves as well as the environment that dictates social conventions. Though it is just a minor, I feel that its potential could extend far beyond what one can imagine. By combining psychology, sociology, and biology, one can better know not only about cringe, but also more about the human psyche as a whole. My mind wandered in loops. That was until I looked closely, and the department was “Endocringology, not “Endocringeology.” Whoops! That was sure embarrassing. I just wrote an entire essay on the science of the endocrine system and, well, cringe. Well, if it’s any consolation, Urban Dictionary recognizes the former, though the latter spelling looks more legitimate. Wait, did I just reveal that I referenced Urban Dictionary? Oh no…