The price of shame! We are a culture of humiliation with cyber-bullying. Why? This serves nothing, of any good. It only serves those who prey on the victims.  Complete waste  of time, energy and resources. STOP doing it and STOP paying attention to it. Monica Lewinsky says it well, “Public shaming as a blood-sport has got to stop.” 

For business purposes, I have chosen to dive into social media this last year. I have never been so disappointed in mankind. Although there are a lot of good things, great conversations and connections to be had, overall it is a dark mean-spirited place.

I was shocked how people speak into things so cruelly, with no understanding of anything about the people they are attacking. Shaming truly is the best word. Shaming others for anything and everything. Comments are taken out of context and the fight is on. Defenses go up, prior wounds bleed through verbal dueling until death occurs.

How do we have a calm and peaceful life with that nonsense going on? It did not take me long to get the hang of how bad this is. I learned to remove myself from negative groups completely. I learned to stay in groups that are beneficial but completely ignore any negativity. I mean to the extent of not even reading the comments fully. I barely scan things and when I see something that might be of value, I will read it. I don’t want all this cyber-bulling nonsense in any part of my life.

I am very disciplined for my own actions at this point. Got sucked in too many times. My concern is for those who get caught up in it and get themselves hurt by it.

Based on research, approximately 2014, “Humiliation was a more intensely felt emotion than either happiness or anger.”  It can make life almost unbearable. Humiliation easily can lead to being humiliated to death.

“In 1998, says Monica Lewinsky, ‘I was Patient Zero of losing a personal reputation on a global scale almost instantaneously.’ Today, the kind of online public shaming she went through has become a constant. In a brave talk, she takes a look at our ‘culture of humiliation,’ in which online shame equals dollar signs — and demands a different way.” ~ Ted Talks

The price of shame | Monica Lewinsky

I am so impressed with her rise above it all. What she has done with this situation is impressive. She has become a solid role model for all of us who have been shamed.

It all comes back around, one way or another.

I love one of her solutions, “speaking up with intention verses speaking up for attention.”

People, STOP contributing to the cyber-bullying. Stop contributing to the gossip. Stop being in groups or any avenue that has hate-talk going on.

Time to use our brains and souls and act like humans, capable of setting boundaries so we don’t let that nonsense cross our computers much less our eyes and into our environments. It sucks the life out of us when we participate or even read those interactions.

Maribeth Baxter, MBNC (Certified Mind-Body Nourishment Coach)