In the 1939 classic movie "The Wizard of Oz," Auntie Em rips into the "wicked" Elmira Gulch with these words, "Just because you own half the county doesn't mean you have the power to run the rest of us. For 23 years I've been dying to tell you what I thought of you. And now, well, being a Christian woman, I can't say it!"
We recently learned through recordings of actor Mel Gibson ripping into his former girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva -- being a Christian didn't help this man hold his tongue. Oh my! How things have changed in 71 years!
Christian or not, one of the hallmarks of modern life in the U.S. is the complete lack of shame for acts and words that in previous times would have landed you in jail, or at least ostracized from the community. Now, a Britney Spears exposing herself to a camera or Wall Street titans shamelessly destroying the economy for personal gain are more or less considered part of doing business. The game seems to be how to top the last outrageous act in a society where there are seemingly no limits to what is acceptable and there is little or no punitive cost to be paid for them.
Have we lost our ability to even know what a moral compass is? John Bradshaw argues in his latest book, "Reclaiming Virtue," that each of us has an inborn "moral intelligence," an inner guidance that when cultivated can lead us to do the right thing at the right time for the right reason.
That's right; science is proving morality is not based on religious or spiritual beliefs. Researchers led by Paul Bloom, professor of psychology at Yale University, have found babies as young as six months old already make moral judgments. They think we may be born with a moral code hard-wired into our brains.
The implications of this science are fascinating. If a properly working moral compass is a fundamental part of being human, what structures can be built into secular society to encourage it? Morality based on ancient religious codes of behavior was part and parcel of Auntie Em's world. In today's fast-paced, multicultural America, most people are not interested in being bound by strict religious rules that limit personal expression and relationships. What will replace them?
John Bradshaw points the way towards cultivating a healthy moral compass in a nonreligious framework. Drawing on Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas, he writes emotion is centrally involved in moral choice. The ability to feel informs what we give meaning to in our lives and the choices we make. The feeling of shame is a built-in mechanism that "keeps us human." Bradshaw continues, "Natural shame safeguards our humanity and guides us to find a balance between extremes..." Without a sense of shame, there are no limits or boundaries to what is said or done.
Many factors have contributed to the decline in morality and the increase in greed and shamelessness that dominate society. One of them is the elevation of individual achievement. In "Stiffed: The Betrayal of Modern Man" by Susan Faludi, she documents that around World War II society shifted from valuing group achievement to worshiping the superstar flying solo. Placing individual success as a high value has resulted in devaluing anyone who gets in the way of achieving it.
The economic crisis is forcing many people to reevaluate what is important and to feel and reflect deeply. Drawing on friends and family for much needed support is helping people see the value in community and working together. One silver lining of the crisis may be a shift away from our obsession with accumulating wealth and toys to a lifestyle where morality and shame take their rightful place in human experience. Perhaps it can help us regain part of our humanity and, make us happier.
As always, I welcome your thoughts.
Follow Levi Ben-Shmuel on Twitter: www.twitter.com/levibenshmuel
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The other half of feeling shame is being shamed. We, as a society don't do that anymore. In our relativist
I think the secular option is to have a set of agreed upon standards of conduct, so that when one is shamed, it's more or less a communal shamming, and not merely a self-right
Perhaps taking civics seriously as part of everyone's education will help. Thanks for your comment!
Clearly, it's not: there are good cultures and bad cultures. There are better cultural practices, and deplorable cultural practices.
While I'm not advocating cultural homogeneit
Most of all "judgment" needs to stop being a dirty word. People need good judgment, so they can judge good practices from bad. We've become so broadly adverse to the idea of judging things, and discrimina
Half the people I know can't say anything good about anything without feeling compelled to them "balance" their opinion with a counter-ar
From a mystic's perspectiv
For one to assume they can judge the activities of others according to their own gauge of morality is a failure to honor and respect the others expression of self. It's also a sign of a controllin
Moral "judgment" is a poor term to describe a moral "decision"
People who feel no guilt or shame are people we refer to as sociopaths
emotional/ spiritual danger, in danger of hurting ourselves and others.
And we trust no one. We are afraid of one another. Heck we don't love our neighbors, we don't even trust them.
By the way, you sound very defensive. Does this hit a nerve??!!!
For the record, I started my career on Wall Street. I also have a master's degree in economic developmen
Conscience and the commitment to not hurting others might be a better way of putting it.
And many times, that shame often leads to addiction as a way of dealing with feelings of worthlessn
there is more to us then meets the eye or appearance
but then I think the point you missed is the influence an economic ideology has on the behavior of a society.
from what I am able to see this universe is perfectly imperfect.
a capitalist agenda will create exactly what it has created. ie materialis
ever notice how the young are always talking about if it makes you happy?
we have somehow come to this idea that wealth and things will make us happy.
well poverty sure can make us unhappy if we dont have shelter and food.
here is my point capitalism is doing exactly what it is intended to do.
create a hostile even imperialis
the real shame this country should have is our wars for profits and our medical system that puts profits over peoples needs.
the other shame we might consider this nation considers itself a christian nation.
lets look at the facts. mega military, mega industrial military complex, corrupt govt, corrupt media for profits, corrupt supreme court that calls corporatio
the real shame is a nation that prides itself on its greatness and has as it most important agenda corp profits and wealth generation
I see no difference between today's bankers and the "Greed is good" goons of the Reagan years, or the Robber Barons of turn of the century America, or the European Aristocrat
One of the problems we face now, however, is that we are publicly glorifying this sort of greed. We're winking at bad behavior. It's done on television and in the media constantly
We each need to take a step back and decide what's moral and good, what's good for ALL of us, and then act on it. I can't make my neighbor behave, but I can start with myself and my family.
'This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemer
the last days have been coming to christians for 2000 years.
even the first 100 years they were looking for the last days.
your own bible states that no one knows the last day except god.
but christians indeed all religions cherry pick their bibles to make their beliefs reality.
the only person you can actually social engineer is yourself..
not so oddly enough, your moral work" inside" is reflected in your moral work "out there". everything that is being presented to your awareness is pointing you back to your inner work..mirr
"modern" people have problems with religious moral code because it goes against the ego being in charge with all the attendant shenanigan
seek understand
understand
shame is living in the past and can be harmful to our present and future.
lets not bring back shame but bring forth understand
shame is a stage of existence we must all evolve out of.
shame belongs in the dark ages.
those immoral outbursts have their home in doubt, selfishnes
again seek understand