A closer look
Highly competent individuals actually become more likable and attractive to others when they make a clumsy mistake or commit a minor embarrassment. Psychologist Elliot Aronson tested this by having actors spill coffee on themselves, proving that a dash of public humiliation humanizes otherwise intimidating people. Apparently, we resent perfection so deeply that we need to see successful people trip over their own feet just to feel a tiny bit better about our own chaotic, disorganized lives. So if you are already a widely respected genius with a flawless track record, accidentally walking into a glass door might actually boost your popularity, but if you are an average idiot, it just confirms what everyone already thought
