When we touch a body having excess electrons,it is said that electrons travel from low potential to high potential.why does the charge discharge to earth.why do we get a electric shock?

Also if we are in space and we touch a body having excess electrons,what happens?Do we get a shock?

when we touch a body having excess electrons then we get an electric shock because when electrons were not discovered the direction of flow of current was taken as positive terminal to negative terminal or from higher potential to lower potential .this was called the conventional direction of current .

however with the discovery of electrons , it was discovered that electrons flow from negative terminal to positive terminal or from lower potential to higher potential.

due to this late discovery of electrons the conventional direction of current was taken as the direction of current.

the earth is considered to be at zero potential therefore the charge flows from higher potential to lower potential via our body , our body being a good conductor of electricity therefore we get an electric shock.

if we are in space and we touch a body having excess electrons , getting a shock would depend on whether we are standing or touching two bodies having potential difference.