Thread: Shame
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Anonymous200320
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Default Feb 01, 2015 at 12:42 PM
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by IndestructibleGirl View Post
We can't have a shame thread without mentioning Brene Brown! I think she articulates a very accessible way into thinking of shame and vulnerability in her Ted talk.
Yes, many people seem to find her a good speaker on the subject. I can't stand watching her - I get very strong shame reactions. I've never managed more than a minute before I have to close the browser lest I start punching the screen. That doesn't mean there is anything wrong with her, but her message and her way of delivering it is not for everybody.

I think it is important to realise that shame is not only a negative thing - in society, shame is what keeps people from treating strangers badly. It is a survival trait, since most of us are dependent on a functioning society in order to get food, shelter, education, medical attention etc etc. The positive side of the shame coin is, quite simply, our conscience. [edited to add: I don't equate a conscience with the pathological, overwhelming, life-destroying, dissasociation-inducing kind of shame, as I hope you'll understand. I don't think there is any societal or personal gain in feeling like that.]

Last edited by Anonymous200320; Feb 01, 2015 at 01:37 PM..
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