We live in a culture built on shame and guilt because our media and advertising have commoditized perfectionism.
Shame is best understood as a social-cultural construct and can be felt when an outside or internal trigger activates an intense painful feeling or experience of believing we are flawed and therefore unworthy of acceptance and belonging creating feelings of fear, blame, and disconnection from relationships.
Shame is organized by gender. The messages and expectations that trigger and
fuel shame for women are based on our rigid cultural definitions of women and
women’s roles. Likewise, the expectations that fuel shame for men are based on
our culture’s perception of masculinity what a man should be like, look like,and act like.
The opposite of experiencing shame is experiencing shame resilience.
The quality that increases our resilience is empathy and when we are practicing courage, compassion, and connection. Our relationships are filled with empathy and we co- create a more loving and authentic culture.
