Resumo: An interesting characteristic of embarrassment is that individuals can experience it vicariously when observing the embarrassing actions of another person. It is strongly enhanced when the observer and transgressor share a personal connection—for example, one of family or friendship. However, we posit that vicarious embarrassment can also arise from the actions of a stranger, as a connection can be construed on the spot when the social context in which the transgression occurs highlights some trait that is common to both observer and transgressor. We document this new source of embarrassment across five studies. Importantly, we separate embarrassment from other self-conscious emotions such as shame or guilt and show that it can trigger costly reparatory behaviors, including gift-giving and paying for someone else’s bill.