We often think of shame as a moral emotion a painful response to doing something wrong or being judged by others. But what if shame has deeper evolutionary roots emerging not just from social norms, but from our brains disease avoidance system?
In this meetup we will explore paper, “On the Origin of Shame: Does Shame Emerge From an Evolved Disease-Avoidance Architecture?” The authors propose that shame may have evolved from the same psychological mechanisms that drive disgust. In this view, feeling “dirty,” “tainted,” or “contaminated” after a moral or social transgression might reflect an ancient survival response repurposed for social life.
Join us for an engaging discussion where we will:
🧠 Unpack the Insight:
- Explore the evidence linking shame, disgust, and the behavioral immune system.
- Discuss how disgust toward external threats may have evolved into shame directed at the self.
💬 Discuss the Implications:
- What does this theory reveal about stigma, body image, moral emotions, and social rejection?
- How might these insights change the way we understand shame-related disorders (e.g., eating disorders, social anxiety)?
🔍 Apply the Ideas:
- Reflect on how this evolutionary model might inform therapy, self-compassion, or moral education.
- Consider the broader question: if shame evolved to protect us from contamination, how do we reinterpret it in modern life—where the threats are often psychological, not microbial?
Whether you are curious about evolutionary psychology, emotion science, or simply want to understand the strange overlap between shame and disgust, this meetup will offer food for thought.
Source:
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/behavioral-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00019/full?utm_source=chatgpt.com
