Shame

Shame is as much a part of man as sexuality and consciousness - the story of the fall of mankind already tells us about this. Hardly any sensation has more power in everyday life and hardly any other feeling is more taboo than it is today. Although it seems to aim first at the sexual, it hits us whole, body and soul at the same time. Shame is mercilessly exploited as an instrument of power. But as a mechanism that protects the most sensitive parts of the personality, shame is not only a moral compass, but also a shield of integrity - although its star seems to be sinking in today's self-portrayal hype. Andrea Köhler's essay explores the ambivalent traces that shame leaves behind in everyday life, in politics, child rearing, literature, art and social media, and impressively shows how power shapes the.