Ethics, Friday, November 6, 2020

[sith_happened]

"Let's talk about shame," Anakin said, settling back against his desk. "For you, personally, what actions make you feel that gut-clench of knowing you've done something wrong? And more importantly, how does your society check inappropriate social behavior through use of shame, and what happens when someone refuses to feel shame?"

Anakin had not been watching election results and listening to his wife yell at her computer for almost a week, why would you think that?

Comments

Re: Discuss!

[gospel_of_oblivion]

"The way I was raised... the concept of feeling 'shame' was lost fairly quickly," Illyana replied carefully. "There was no 'wrong,' morally-speaking. You do what you must; no more, no less."

"I might feel guilt if my freely-chosen actions cause accidental pain that I did not plan to someone I care about, but not shame. I did it because I thought it was the right thing to do, so why would I feel shame? Shame implies I did something wrong on purpose."

Re: Discuss!

[sith_happened]

"And you've never done something wrong on purpose?" Anakin asked.

Re: Discuss!

[gospel_of_oblivion]

"By my definition of wrong? No," Illyana admitted. "But I'm pretty sure the people involved felt differently, even if they were the ones that escalated the situation."

There were a number of deceased truckers who might claim they didn't deserve to be killed, but 'Yana would firmly assert otherwise.

"I try very hard to think things through before I take actions, because I am aware that I have a temper, and my upbringing leaves my outlook slightly...different. From what most people would consider morally acceptable. But that's not always possible and sometimes you have to make choices. I refuse to feel shame for choices that keep me alive."

'Yana felt guilt. She had a lot of internalized guilt, and lot of (misplaced) guilt over Limbo. But not shame.