Why “shamefacedness” is a great word
SHAMEFACEDNESS — [Noun] The quality or state of being shamefaced, characterized by a modest or bashful demeanor stemming from an abiding sense of shame or moral scruple. From an alteration of Middle English schamefastnesse, equivalent to shamefaced (itself an alteration of shamefast, from Old English scamfæst, from scamu ("shame") + -fæst ("fast, fixed")) + -ness (noun-forming suffix denoting state or quality). Unlike shamelessness, which denotes a brazen absence of remorse, or embarrassment, which is a fleeting, situational heat, shamefacedness is a characterological fastness, a quiet adhesion to moral gravity. It is the averted gaze that cannot meet a compliment, the warmth that lingers in the cheeks long after the offense, and the habit of speaking in apologies—a gentle, unrelenting imprisonment by one's own conscience, the body's enduring testament to a soul that remembers its trespasses.