I hear you.  ☺️

"no need to give her a participation trophy for making herself look like a fool and her fellow students" 

If in life we stop ourselves from experiencing anything because of looking like a fool or how others may look because of your behaviour, you will never learn. One can only learn by making mistakes or by failing or by making a fool of yourself! You sound very logically and I am pretty sure you had some laps of judgements or foolish decisions in the past. Otherwise, you won't be this wise rn. Mistakes are there to serve as a lessons. We all do it. It's a good chat though. All the best! 🤓🫂