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Swift Thinks Shamelessness Is More Damaging Than Wickedness
Description
“I never wonder to see men wicked, but I often wonder to see them not ashamed.” — Jonathan Swift
This episode looks at a line from Jonathan Swift's Thoughts on Various Subjects, first published in 1711, and asks why the great satirist found shamelessness more astonishing than wickedness itself. I explore shame as the part of us that keeps conscience connected, why people rarely become shameless all at once but through a long series of small self-pardons, and how Swift's observation looks from the other end of Mencius's idea that shame is one of the capacities we're born with. The episode closes with honest cautions: shame isn't always healthy, people have been shamed for things that were never wrongdoing, and we can't see inside anyone else. A sharp old line that works best as a check on ourselves.
At The Quotive Corner, remember that wisdom isn’t in the quote. It’s in the reflection. New episodes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday!
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