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D Ham's avatar

A timely article, well written. I have some unorganised and half-constructed thoughts on Shame as a useful tool in support of societal cohesion, insofar as curtailing the alienation we experience in the modern social setting. A boss in the office feels no shame firing the worker and making them destitute because there are layers of bureaucracy acting as a shield. The consumer of fast fashion feels no shame because the makers of their garments are far away and the abuse they suffer is obfuscated by corporate PR campaigns. The billionaire feels no shame in exploiting the labour of others to amass a fortune unfathomable to you and I because they are raised in a system where wealth and power are positive attributes unto themselves, instead of a shameful and abhorrent moral disease.

A new application of Shame would do us well. Not to punish and ostracise those that make choices about how they look, how they live or how they love, but to bring shame upon those that do a social and moral harm; that seek to disrupt community cohesion. In my humble opinion, seeking and holding power over others is a moral failing, and deserves to be shamed.

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Michelle's avatar

Literally this could make it as a published article in any print or online publication - you write so SO well. Your posts are always so full of insight and relatability that it’s impossible to not enjoy reading it! 💖

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