fremdschämen

fremdschämen (FREMD-shah-men) - n., vicarious embarrassment; feeling ashamed because someone else has embarrassed themselves (and doesn't notice).


One of those words another language has that English needs and so stole -- or in this case, is in the process of stealing, as it seems to have been noticed this German word only in the last few years. In German, it literally means external-shame.

---L.