Something seems to have gone missing in the public square – the notion of feeling shame or guilt by an individual who has done wrong and violated typical social mores of the community, and the local community’s lack of use of the valuable tool of shaming / shunning. A tool that used to fit in between normal day to day life and the legal system.
Some might scoff “How quaint – the societal notion of shared morality”! Peer pressure used to be part of the social “law keeping”. While it is still around, its role in keeping coaxing individuals to stay within social norms seems to have disappeared. It’s role was to keep both the behavior and offending individual “sub-legal”. An informal way of keeping usually youngsters and young adults in line before crossing that line that required stronger, judicial intervention.
The extreme example shaming was the old Pilgrim notion of the “stocks” – a wooden contraption through which head and arms were locked in place, allowing all in the community to ridicule the “stockee” for his or her transgression. Personal shame of spending time in the stock was thought to be punishment enough to prevent repeat occurrences. While not the worst, this does rank right up there on the ranking system of “judgmentalism”.
I think it is fair to say that the pendulum has swung the other way.
The contemporary example of the lack of shame is to simple watch an episode of the Jerry Springer show. Not only do the people (nope, no use of the words “ladies” and “gentlemen” here) not care that the audience laughs at them, they take offense that anyone should judge their behavior as anything but correct. Not only are they often proud of their activities, they often are clueless as to why the audience is laughing at them or making fun of them.
While there are others that might disagree, I think the impetus for this was rebellious 60’s which gave rise to the “If it feels good, do it. If it doesn’t hurt anybody, it’s ‘OK’ type” of mentality. Gosh, how I hate that decade…while it gave us the needed Civil Rights movement, it also it gave rise to this ever increasing rise in extreme cynicism, moral nihilism (”does anything really matter?”) and moral relativism (what all kids do when caught doing something wrong – “what about Johnny? Look what he did that was worse!”). The problem is that back then only college kids were relying on that illogical reasoning. Decades later, they are now our current leaders; adults using that same line of reasoning as they did back then. Without being able to concentrate on the single event of malfeasance, it seems that it has given rise to a society that disavows personal responsibility and is in permanent finger-pointing mode.
Shame on thee, but not for me!
We have substituted legalism style morality at the government level and given up the choice of enforced morality at the individual or community level. Non-judgementalism has taken sway and overrun good judgment. We have taken “judge not, less ye be judged” too far to the point of “who are you to judge me” as if to say no one has the authority to set up moral bounds. Yet, we legislate morality every day….it’s called laws.
Still, polls show that the majority of Americans still believe in God and a majority attend church at least on an occasional basis. And for most of us, religion does plays a major role by shaping our morality. For most of us, this is where we learn and internalize our sense of right and wrong.
I believe that this is also part of the reason for the rise of the movement to rid God from the public square. For it is only when The source of absolute right and wrong is removed from public discourse can those that wish not to be judged ever be successful. For it is only when God is removed, and His laws left to collect dust, will those that wish to set themselves up as final arbiters of right and wrong be able to successful at declaring and enforcing what THEY wish to be right and wrong.
Yes, shame has lessened as a societal tool. Pop culture enforces this attitude – just look at the language and philosophy of hip-hop and rap where gangster behavior is held in high esteem and women are denigrated as mere sex objects.
Again, when do I think this all started as a mass societal movement (as opposed to fringe elements)? Where did it come from? Try 40 years ago in the nascent Flower Power age. Even Doug’s beloved Rock N’ Roll, railing against “The Man” fostered a discontent with authority of all types. What started out as a wonderful sun flower has turned into a weed….
Yes, society has lost sight of a valuable tool in its tool belt…..
