Confront Shame to Break the Cycle

Society's shift towards escape and avoidance has made it easier to evade feelings of shame. Individuals can now find solace in online friendships, allowing them to bypass direct social confrontations that once mandated facing shame. This leads to a transformation of shame into malice and toxicity online, as people channel their negative feelings towards others instead of addressing them. The rise in accessibility to substances like THC and CBD further aids in suppressing shame, presenting an immediate but superficial coping mechanism. Historically, shame functioned as a social corrective under conditions of unavoidable social interaction, like in tribal settings, where individuals had no escape. With contemporary avenues for avoidance, the evolutionary purpose of shame as a tool for social cohesion becomes ineffective, creating a complex challenge in personal accountability and emotional growth.