The passage by Andreas Kappes “Shame about the Internet” raises the theme of online harassment leading to the feeling of shame. The author believes that shame, compared to guilt, brings up negative feelings such as worthless and powerless that oftentimes give birth to anger, aggression, negation, and suicide attempts. Kappes highlights the double standards people implement towards others by judging and blaming their shortcomings and transgressions being intolerant to their fails. Undoubtedly, no human being can act, think, behave ideally, and a true tolerance towards others for their weaknesses should contain support and no judgment.
Social support and limitations with the help of laws are needed to maintain peace and balance, but public shaming creates undesirable pressure on human beings. Andreas Kappes proposes to focus on the actions themselves, their nature, and premises to figure out deeper motives and causes of the transgression and trying to develop ways of its solution. When we are acting inappropriately, instead of using double standards, we can become strong enough to admit the mistake and stay honest with ourselves and others. Public shaming, from my point of view, might have pros if it can be reduced with severity. Every man needs to comprehend the borders of actions, appropriate joking, and social communication inside which he can perform. When moral values are broken, the feedback from society can help humans balance and learn to enhance social skills and gain experience.
Though, public shaming is mostly causing harm to people’s self-esteem. It also induces the feeling of being privileged as those who are judging others initially place themselves higher. Some people, furthermore, believe that those who have access to wealth, power, or privilege must face once the consequences of their actions. However, it is hardly manageable to evaluate these people’s lives and the circumstances they were making the decisions in. I believe, a man should focus mostly on himself and the nature of his actions. Then, if no gossiping, rumors, and judgment were spreading around, the world would look unrecognizably different.