ABSTRACT
This chapter zooms inwards into the psychological construct of shame by identifying and naming the basic components that constitute the entire shame continuum so that we will have a solid basis to learn how to address shame in a more effective way. Here, healthy shame is classified into two basic components: anticipatory and vicarious. Anticipatory shame is often described as a discretion that is experienced as an anxiety about being disgraced to motivate people to conform to social norms and expectations. Anticipatory shame actually contributes to a harmonious social life for humans by generating within the person some form of shame anxiety to prompt that person to avoid exposure to shame. Vicarious shame is a form of public shame where one feels shame over the shame of another. Vicarious shame is often experienced as a healthy fear of social stigma or public disgrace. At the present time, most of the popular psychological techniques for addressing shame do not make a clear distinction between healthy and unhealthy shame. However, in trying to help people suffering from issues of shame through our interventions, we must be careful that in doing so, we do not stifle their sensitivity to experience healthy shame.
