Why do we keep replaying embarrassing moments in our heads?

Embarrassing memories are often emotionally charged, so the amygdala helps tag them as important. At the same time, the brain's self-monitoring systems keep checking for what went wrong, which can lead to repetitive thinking or rumination. This is not unique to humans, but human social life makes public mistakes especially memorable. Psychologists have long noted that people overestimate how much others noticed their error, a bias sometimes called the spotlight effect.