EMOTIONAL WOUND THESAURUS

MAKING A VERY PUBLIC MISTAKE



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Emotional wounds will steer a character's behavior, corrupt his worldview, and cause negative traits to form. To understand exactly how this occurs, please read our tutorial for the Wound Thesaurus.

NOTE: We realize that sometimes a wound we profile may have personal meaning, stirring up the past for some of our readers. It is not our intent to create emotional turmoil. Please know that we research each wounding topic carefully to treat it with the utmost respect.
NOTES:
Public mistakes are nothing new, but in today's technologically advanced world, they are often recorded for posterity—on YouTube, Facebook, and on websites set up with the purpose of never letting others forget. This kind of reminder makes it even more difficult to move on after an embarrassing gaffe like…

EXAMPLES:
Backing a person, cause, or organization that turns out to be fraudulent
Getting caught having an affair
Getting arrested
Being overheard saying something one would like to keep private
Being caught in a public lie
Losing one's temper and making comments one later regrets
Getting drunk and acting inappropriately
Flubbing one's lines during a performance
Literally dropping the ball at a critical moment during a sporting event
Experiencing a wardrobe malfunction
Making public promises that one is unable to keep
Being responsible for a high-profile project or product that fails
Saying something that makes one look stupid or ignorant
Making an accusation that turns out to be unfounded
Accidentally sending a private email to a group of people instead of only the intended recipient
Passing out naked or semi-naked in a public place

WOUND CATEGORY:
Failures and Mistakes

BASIC NEEDS OFTEN COMPROMISED BY THIS WOUND:
love and belonging, esteem and recognition, self-actualization

LIES THAT MAY DEVELOP FOR CHARACTERS WITH THIS WOUND:
No one will let them forget what they did
They can't be trusted not to screw up
They're terrible under pressure
Their judgment is faulty
They're always going to fail
If they get in front of an audience, they're going to mess things up
Their career is over (if they have a highly visible career or are a household name)
People always want to tear others apart for making a mistake

THE CHARACTER MAY FEAR:
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POSSIBLE RESPONSES AND RESULTS:
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POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES THAT MAY RESULT:
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NEGATIVE TRAITS THAT MAY RESULT:
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TRIGGERS THAT MIGHT AGGRAVATE THIS WOUND:
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STEPS TOWARD HEALING:
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OPPORTUNITIES TO FACE OR OVERCOME THIS WOUND:
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