Survival of the Shame

A very interesting aspect about shame or guilt is that humans are the only species known to exhibit what we call "shame". According to Dr. Stanley Coren's essay "Which Emotions Do Dogs Actually Experience?", dogs do not experience complex emotions such as shame or guilt. A question that arises from these findings is why humans are the only living organisms known to experience the feeling of shame. One explanation for this feeling of shame is the great complexion and evolved state of the human brain which allows us to experience more complex emotions. However, digging deeper, shame could be a necessary element for human survival. Seeing as how far humans have evolved, it is a fact that humans must rely on each other in order to survive. Shame and guilt are equalizing factors in this connection. Having the ability to feel guilt, men are able to sympathize with others and become more self-conscious with how one's actions affects others. As a result, man will not repeat actions which cause this feeling of guilt. Shame is the personal reflection of how one stands in society, and how to improve oneself in order to better himself, the people around him, and society as a whole. In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, Reverend Dimmesdale is an illustration of how shame and guilt drive one's motives to survive in society. The immense shame he feels for committing adultery and the guilt to both Hester and society for not confessing his sins drives his emotions insane, as the shame (literally) "gnaws" on his soul for seven years. Dimmesdale is conscious with how he is affecting others with his shame, and thus he cannot truly feel connected to society because he knows that he is secretly damaging them. His only way to connect back into society is to confess his sins and, ironically, remove himself from society with his death. Dimmesdale answers the question on why humans feel shame and guilt; shame and guilt provide a moral fiber into the individual and as a result, shape the individual and society as a whole into a better place. Although Dimmesdale does not physically survive the ordeal, by purging his shame and guilt, he finally feels alive with his own conscience and the eyes of society.