Shame
I loathe the idea that being unkempt, unclean, and unsanitary is something people might find commonality in. I don’t know that we should feel ashamed of it, but I don’t know that I would’ve admitted my bathroom was disgusting before I cleaned it either. Perhaps we lack a healthy amount of shame in the internet age, shame that can be awakened by bei... See more
24, With Tears
That sharp turn away from blaming others happens once you finally address your shame. Shame is something everyone has, thanks to our shame-ruled, shame-dispensing culture, but some people obviously have it worse than others. I’ve always been massively ashamed and self-hating, and for a long time, even in Ask Polly, I described shame as a thing you ... See more
Talking about friendship with Heather Havrilesky
There is a camera hidden in every floral arrangement at the neverending funeral. This is by far my most glaring personality flaw, but it is also the only thing propelling me forward. I am not writing for myself. Everything is embarrassing, everything is pornographic, everything is morbid and will make an excellent story at some point. I will never ... See more
24, With Tears
In addition to hopelessness, another primary indicator of an image is a pervasive sense of shame, a feeling of not being worthy or deserving. A specific shame lives in the inner child of all of us, stemming from the time we discovered, with a great shock, that our parents and our world were not perfect. The child has a great need to believe that he
... See moreEva Pierrakos • The Undefended Self: Living the Pathwork
I grew up in poverty and felt a deep sense of shame about being poor. But I also always knew that I was white, and that it was better to be white.
Robin DiAngelo • White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism
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