On this episode of the Being Well Podcast, we discuss changing our relationship to shame. Shame is one of the most complex and difficult emotions we experience on a regular basis, and one that can have seriously negative impacts on our sense of self-worth and ability to experience healthy connection with others.
On this episode of Being Well, Forrest and I take a deep dive into what shame is, how it develops, what distinguishes it from guilt and other related emotions, and how questioning our assumptions about it can help us identify its origins in our lives.
Key Topics:
- 0:00: Introduction
- 1:40: The biological roots of shame
- 4:00: Shame’s ties to our assumptions about the world
- 7:00: Impropriety, and shame as a psychological stage of development
- 9:55: Distinguishing shame from guilt
- 14:00: Unnecessary shame, healthy remorse, and your own integrity system
- 21:55: Who decides what being good looks like?
- 25:40: Morality in the service of power
- 32:20: What helps us work with experiences of shame
- 38:25: Isolation and the value of sharing with others in some way
- 43:50: Working with your shame story
- 49:00: Shame, group belonging, and personal changes
- 51:25: Recap
