HUMBLED DEFINITION:An awareness of one’s lowly or modest status PHYSICAL SIGNALS AND BEHAVIORS: Ducking one’s head Dropping the chin to the chest Squeezing the eyes shut Taking a step back Standing behind others Covering the eyes with one’s hands Standing with hands on hips and the head bowed Giving a slow nod, as if acknowledging the truth of the situation Running the hands through one’s hair and turning away Steepling the fingers in front of one’s mouth Speaking in a quieter voice than normal Getting choked up Tilting the head back and blinking quickly to keep from crying Not defending oneself Letting others be in the spotlight; not calling attention to oneself Shaking the head and exhaling loudly through the nose Mashing the lips together in frustration Going very still Pacing in the background, away from others Making one’s body small Crossing the arms Fidgeting and fiddling with things, such as buttons, coins, hair, or earrings Wincing Not looking other people in the eye Tense jaw muscles Clenched teeth Walking in slow, small circles INTERNAL SENSATIONS: Tightness in the chest A dropping sensation in the belly The throat squeezing shut Prickling eyes Nausea roiling in the pit of the stomach Tense muscles MENTAL RESPONSES: The mind racing as one tries to come to grips with what has happened The mind going blank as new information changes the perception of oneself and one’s path forward Suspended disbelief Self-berating thoughts Wanting to hide Replaying the humbling moment on a loop in one’s mind ACUTE OR LONG-TERM RESPONSES FOR THIS EMOTION: Doubting oneself Self-isolation (if shame is a factor) Avoiding the place where the humbling situation occurred No longer participating in that activity, even if it was one’s passion Letting one’s physical appearance go Risk-aversion Avoiding the spotlight Being overly critical of oneself Perfectionism (to avoid being humbled again) Hyper-focusing on the humbling activity to prove one’s worth in that area Renewed determination and an evolved outlook SIGNS THAT THIS EMOTION IS BEING SUPPRESSED: Denying the truth of what happened Hatred or rage toward the person doing the humbling Making excuses for what happened Laughing off what happened as if it was no big deal Overcompensating Striving to prove oneself repeatedly to others Having a cocky attitude MAY ESCALATE TO:Resentment,Defensiveness,Denial,Humiliation,Devastation,Regret,Shame,Self-Loathing MAY DE-ESCALATE TO:Resignation,Gratitude,Determination ASSOCIATED POWER VERBS: Abase, acknowledge, admit, apologize astound, aver, awe, blunder botch, bungle, chasten, concede confess, congratulate, deflate, fall short flop, flub, fumble, lapse misstep, own up, recant, recognize screw up, slip, stoop, wallow WRITER’S TIP:Does your character have a bad habit, mannerism, or tic that occurs when they’re trying to hide emotion from others? If so, show this when they’re working to hold back their true feelings.