This is why Brown contends that shame is a poor tool for instigating transformation, despite the widespread belief that it’s helpful for keeping people in line. She believes it’s not only wrong to use shame to motivate people but also dangerous. Her research suggests that it’s virtually impossible to correlate shame with positive outcomes of any type, as there are no data to support that shame supports good behavior.2 Instead shame is more likely to cause destructive and hurtful behaviors than it is to open up solutions. When we’re filled with shame, we tend to engage in self-destructive
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