The Devil that is Shame

Shame is a plague of life. Shame is an abstract emotion that stretches beyond the human world. Animals feel and display shame. If your dog has an accident in the house, they will act filled with shame because they are embarrassed about what happened. They are embarrassed because they let you, their master, down. They live their lives to please and in that moment, their action did the exact opposite. They feel shame because of the emotions you will feel as a result of their action. Personal shame is felt because of the emotions of others and the reaction of others. This is the fundamental reason for shame— the opinions and feelings others have based on something you do.

In a world of light, shame is the darkness that appears. Shame is a devil that will paralyze you. Shame will immobilize you and prevent you from achieving. Being filled with shame is akin to stopping your life. Shame prevents you from moving on. It prevents you from seeking and pursuing because you are scared and fearful of what others will think of you.

Living a life fearful of shame is turning your power over to the hands of others. People will remind you of your mistakes, that does not change. These reminders will always hurt. You cannot turn this pain off. You will feel a cut regardless of how many times you have been cut before. People will tell you not to care what others say about you but that is easier said than done. Humans and their cognitive basis and emotional web of complexity are wired to care. We are wired to react to the opinions of others and shame is one of these wires.

Living in shame traps you in the past. Too many people live in regret of their past decisions and are never able to escape themselves and the mistakes they made. They live in a repeated cycle of the old stories of their lives. People let shame and what other people think of them inhibit them from moving on. To overcome shame takes courage. It takes courage to accept the shame of what has happened. It takes courage to accept what other people say about you— and will say about you. It takes courage to take the antidote for the paralysis shame causes. The courage to move on rises from within and dissipates the effects of shame. It never removes the effects of shame entirely, but you begin to build up antibodies against it. What once would prevent you from acting entirely, now becomes a slight afterthought after the action has already occurred.

Courage to live your life takes the power away from shame and inserts the power back into your own pocket. The devil of shame will stop at nothing to get you to succumb to its grasp. Stick to the light, emerge from the shadows, and allow courage to guide you through life. Have the courage to not let others cause you shame. Have the courage to move when shame is doing everything it can to hold you back. Have the courage to defeat the devil that is shame.