Male shame – the scourge of men everywhere

What is the nature of male shame and is it different to female shame? By Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist. Dr Jan McGregor…

Shame is deep feeling that you have not only done something wrong, it feels like you, as a person, are bad. It’s part of being human and affects everyone. It is, however, often a bit different in how it shows in men and women. First, have you ever heard a powerful man, maybe at work or on the TV, and thought “has he got no shame?” Secondly: have you ever felt so shamed you’ve wanted to hide or hit out? If the answer to the first question is yes, then you could say that there is such a thing as male shame. You are less likely to have had the same reaction to a woman; partly, but not only, because there are not so many powerful women about. Women also tend to come across differently. If the answer to the second question is yes, well it was horrible, but it actually means you are in a better emotional state than the shameless person. Here’s why…

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