Shame is a self-conscious emotion linked to negative evaluation of oneself. It is linked to trauma, and is at the root of several bad habits and addictions. In this YouTube video by Showup365, we learn how different parts of the brain react to trauma. Our higher critical thinking skills are blocked by trauma and shame, so humans need time to recover in order to make progress in their lives.
Toxic shame is a type of shame that’s caused by abuse and bullying. Showup365’s video explains that the amygdala and hippocampus react to danger, and how to cope with it. When one lives with toxic shame, they have unhealed trauma and are consistently in a survival mindset. The cortex, which is the part of the brain responsible for reasoning and critical thinking, is restricted until the sense of danger is gone.
Habits like procrastination, fornication, and addiction are driven by the hippocampus. Bad habits are distortions of healthy actions; they are actions removed from their original good purposes. When a person suffers from shame and trauma, they can’t see past their habits, and their habits are coping mechanisms. They need a chance to be safe, separated from their abuse, so they can recover and develop new practices to thrive in life.
Narcissists, abusers, and corrupt institutions, need their victims to feel shame, and thus be stuck in survival mode. I’m reminded once again of Theodore Dalrymple’s view of political correctness and communist propaganda. He says their goals are not to persuade, but humiliate. When people are constantly on the defense of their lives or good name, they don’t have the wherewithal to improve their lives, or society at large.
