The root of this difference, as explained by James F. Gilligan in Shame and Humiliation, is mainly due to the presence, or lack, of self-esteem. Self-esteem is more important in our lives than many may realize. It is the backbone of our consciousness and affects essentially all of our decisions. Gilligan discusses how we all experience shame in our lives, but not everyone turns it into violence because some maintain their self-esteem. Those who do turn their shame into violence, however, have lost respect for themselves and exhibit their anger (Gilligan 6). An example of one of the negative effects of shame can be found in “All God’s Children” a book by Fox Butterfield, Chapter 4 - Pud - which discusses the lives of many African American sharecroppers down south in the early 1900s. White supremacy was at an all time high during this period and blacks were forcefully pushed to the bottom of society. Will Herrin was a poor black sharecropper who consistently experienced hardships in his work when the landlord refused to pay him for his hard work in the fields. Herrin was refused one day even after he brought in the most cotton ever.
The root of this difference, as explained by James F. Gilligan in Shame and Humiliation, is mainly due to the presence, or lack, of self-esteem. Self-esteem is more important in our lives than many may realize. It is the backbone of our consciousness and affects essentially all of our decisions. Gilligan discusses how we all experience shame in our lives, but not everyone turns it into violence because some maintain their self-esteem. Those who do turn their shame into violence, however, have lost respect for themselves and exhibit their anger (Gilligan 6). An example of one of the negative effects of shame can be found in “All God’s Children” a book by Fox Butterfield, Chapter 4 - Pud - which discusses the lives of many African American sharecroppers down south in the early 1900s. White supremacy was at an all time high during this period and blacks were forcefully pushed to the bottom of society. Will Herrin was a poor black sharecropper who consistently experienced hardships in his work when the landlord refused to pay him for his hard work in the fields. Herrin was refused one day even after he brought in the most cotton ever.