The feeling of shame involves both our most intimate experiences and our embeddedness in society.
The feeling of shame implies the presence of the Other who shames us in some way or another. It is thus an explicitly social emotion, an experience one has primarily in contact with other people and internalised as contemplation on our own unsuitability (“There’s something wrong with me.”). What’s more, it markedly affects our sense of belonging and connectedness with other people.
The need to belong and share a connection is a basic human need. That is why deriding someone can be a very efficient mechanism of social control. If we succeed in shattering this taboo and talk about it compassionately, shame starts losing its power.
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Tomaž Flajs
Healthy families interpret a child’s feelings appropriately.
Life’s soaring heights and rock bottoms have never prevented outstanding athlete Primož Jeralič from achieving what he had been striving for before his accident and what he continues to strive for today, which is – pursuing his passion for sport.
Founder and main co-funder of Cankarjev dom’s Arts and Culture programme
