Shame is an agitation of the spirit associated with an action that is considered dishonorable or humiliating.
Shame , which comes from the Latin verecundĭa , is the disturbance of the spirit that is caused by a mistake committed or by some humiliating and dishonorable action, whether one's own or that of another. This feeling usually lights up the color of the face, revealing the person who suffers from it.
For example: “I'm embarrassed to sing in public,” “I don't understand how Olga doesn't feel embarrassed dressing that way,” “Ricardo tripped in the middle of the room and blushed because of embarrassment.”
Some types of shame
In addition to all of the above, it must be emphasized that there are different types of shame that have been widely studied and analyzed by professionals in psychology and psychiatry. Thus, on the one hand, we find the so-called toxic shame , a term that is used to refer to the attitude that children take after having been victims of some type of sexual abuse.
And on the other hand, we would have to highlight the vicar's shame . Under this name is the attitude adopted by certain people who tend to blame themselves for certain actions with the clear objective of protecting another individual.
Various situations can cause shame.
How it is produced
The way shame works has to do with the fear of being embarrassed. When a person fears speaking in front of an audience, this fear is generated by the possible shame they would feel if they made a mistake or did not meet social expectations.
Shame, therefore, is usually associated with shyness that leads to not wanting to show certain facets of one's personality or even one's body in public: "At home I am funny and I tell jokes, but at parties I am embarrassed." “I feel ashamed when they look at my legs.”
Another manifestation of shame is linked to dignity or self-esteem : “The president has no shame: he talks about distributing wealth when his assets tripled in the last year,” “It causes shame in others to watch how some women undress on camera for “a few coins.”
Wall of Shame
Nor can we forget that there is another term that uses the concept at hand. This is what is known as the Wall of Shame . This name describes all those constructions that are established as limits of a specific geographical space and that require that those who try to overcome them have to be subject to control by the relevant authorities.
Among the best-known walls of this type is, for example, the one located between the United States and Mexico . Preventing immigration and ending drug trafficking are two of the reasons why the decision was made in the 1990s to lift it.
Other uses of the term
In the same way, we cannot ignore that one of the most successful programs in recent years around the world is called “Shame of Others” . The MTV network is the one that broadcasts this space internationally, which consists of the reproduction of videos where ordinary citizens suffer falls, blows and all kinds of situations that bring smiles from the public.
“Shame” , meanwhile, is a film directed by Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman and released in 1968 .
A scoundrel , finally, is one who lacks decorum or whose morals do not prevent him from committing ethical offenses: “This scoundrel continues talking after having melted the country.”