Shame

(see also alienation, pride and other keywords)

Shame is an unpleasant emotion associated with disgrace or humiliation.
In contrast with pride it mainly applies in a negative context.
It can be produced when others withdraw their trust or regard for you.
Unlike simple sensory experiences it involves a heightened consciousness of self.
It may be accompanied by self-blame and a reduced sense of self-esteem.
This can lead to negative thoughts, pain, feelings of exposure, distrust, ...
The awkward or painful feelings of self-consciousness and possible self-blame.

Some simple human sensations (e.g. getting cold) can be experienced by oneself.
- e.g. how our bodies self-regulate temperature is a simple cybernetic process.
Shame is more complex as it implies self-reflexive awareness in a social context.

Strictly speaking you cannot shame someone unless they are susceptible to feeling ashamed.
- i.e. dignity and self-worth are bolstered by the respect of others.
Its self-reflexivity means we need a second order cybernetic framework to model it.

Suicide can be triggered by extreme feelings of worthlessness or alienation from others.
This suggests that extreme shame may be akin to what biologists call apoptosis in living cells.
Many sociopaths and psychopaths do not experience shame deeply, if at all (Lyons, 2015).
This does not necessarily mean that they have no sense of guilt, if found out.