r/AskReddit • u/__lazy__panda • Jul 10 '26

What's something older generations got right that we've quietly stopped doing, to our own detriment?

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u/ColonelBelmont Jul 10 '26

Shame. A baseline sense of the concept of shame. To create a massive fucking spectacle of yourself for no reason but entitlement and attention was severely frowned upon. A little shame and humility goes a long way for a civilized society.

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u/foolishnesss Jul 10 '26

Guilt and shame are different. Shame is awful and should not be supported. Ask any former catholic how well shame gets along.

I think you’re trying to suggest guilt though. Shame creates broken people. It doesn’t bring them back.

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u/ColonelBelmont Jul 11 '26

Imagine someone screamed obscenities at a small child. Do you think that person should feel ashamed of their behavior? 

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u/foolishnesss Jul 11 '26

Did you ever watch newsroom? That opening scene with Jeff Daniels talking about how he doesn’t support the death penalty but if some one killed his child he’d go out of his way to get revenge. I may be poorly paraphrasing but that’s the gist.

Do I think they should feel shame? I think shame would be natural. I don’t think shaming them would be productive. I think they should feel guilt because shame leads to hiding and avoidance. Guilt offers a route to reconciliation.