Embarrassment Points
Gamify awkwardness — each cringe moment is a ticket you cash in for confidence.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 3
- Confidence
- 84%
Kenny attacks the fear of being cringe by making confidence an evidence-based muscle rather than a theoretical trait. To generate the evidence that you can trip, fail, or be dismissed and still be fine, he gamifies discomfort: every awkward, embarrassing, or vulnerable act earns a mental point, like a ticket at a county fair that you later redeem for a big stuffed animal — in this case, real confidence. Over time you accumulate proof that you can put yourself in any position, tell a joke that flops or introduce yourself and be dismissed, and remain whole. The mindset shift is deliberate: focus on what being awkward gives you (confidence, growth) rather than what it takes (pride, respect).
Origin
Kenny's biggest roadblock as someone who writes potentially cringe things on the internet was the fear of being cringe; he evolved past it by treating each embarrassing act as a point earned toward confidence.
Core principles
- 01Confidence is a muscle built from evidence, not theory.
- 02The evidence you need is proof you can trip, fail, or be dismissed and still be okay.
- 03Gamify discomfort by awarding yourself a point for each awkward or embarrassing act.
- 04Focus on what being embarrassing gives you, not what it takes from you.
How to run it
- 1
Reframe confidence as evidence
Accept that confidence becomes real only when you generate evidence you can fail, pivot, and still do well.
Pro tip Confidence is a muscle — it's evidence-based, not theoretical.
- 2
Award yourself points
Each time you do something awkward, embarrassing, or vulnerable, give yourself a point like a county-fair ticket.
Pro tip The gamification makes putting yourself out there feel like scoring rather than risking.
- 3
Cash in and reframe focus
Redeem the accumulated points as confidence and consciously focus on what the awkward act gives you, not what it takes.
Pro tip Being able to tell a joke that falls flat and stay confident is the payoff you're buying.
Watch out Fixating on what embarrassment takes — pride, respect, a friend — keeps you from acting at all.
In the wild
Kenny, once averse to public speaking, spent years forcing himself into awkward, confidence-building situations and now does public speaking and workshops with sports teams and corporate groups.
→ He can now put himself in any position — a joke landing on deaf ears, an introduction being dismissed — and remain confident.
Common mistakes
Chasing confidence in theory
Trying to feel confident without generating evidence you can fail and recover keeps confidence abstract and fragile.
Focusing on what it takes
Dwelling on the pride or respect embarrassment might cost you stops you from putting yourself in the situations that actually build confidence.
Is it for you?
Best for
Introverts and creators paralyzed by fear of embarrassment.
Not ideal for
People who need to weigh genuine reputational risk rather than mere awkwardness.
From the transcript
“Confidence comes from without a doubt evidence... it's a muscle it's evidence-based.”
“Anytime I did something awkward or embarrassing or cringe... in my head I would give myself a point.”
From the episode
Case Kenny: Mindfulness for Entrepreneurs, How to Gain Clarity and Make Smarter Decisions
Case Kenny