I am bad. The focus is non self, not behavior. The result is feeling flawed and unworthy of love, belonging, and connection, Shame is not a driver of positive change.

Shame is the intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love, belonging, and connection.

Shame thrives on secrecy, silence, and judgement.

• Brene Brown Atlas of the Heart p. 137

Shame is not a compass for moral behavior. It's much more likely to drive destructive, hurtful, immoral, and self-aggradnizing behvior than it is to heal.

Shame is an egocentric, self-involved emotion. It draws our focus inwardd. Our only concdrnwith others when we are feeling shame is to wonder how others are judging us. Shame and empathy are incompatible. When feeling shame, our inward focus overrides our ability to think about another person's experience. We become unable to offer empathy. We are incapable of processing information abou the othe reprosn, unless that information specifically pertains to their view of us.

Brene Brown Atlas of the Heart p. 142

We Fall Short