Reflection
Shame is a powerful emotion. In thinking about shame this week, I have come across two different approaches to it. The first, championed by Brene Brown, is that shame is unavoidably negative. The second, something I came across at a research seminar, is that it has both positive and negative possibilities.
Both of these put shame in a psychological and moral context. The question is whether or not shame is psychologically damaging, and whether it can promote pro-social behaviours.
It is clear that shame can be psychologically damaging. This is when it is about your character, or personality. To feel ashamed of yourself as a person - particularly with regard to fixed characteristics - is unlikely to be helpful.
It is also clear that shame can promote certain types of behaviour. To be ashamed of something that you have done in the past, like, for example, getting angry at someone you love, can help you to avoid doing that thing in the future. So may…
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