Is there anything good about shame? Listen to 6 Minute English - YouTube
Neil: Hello, and welcome to
6 Minute English. I'm Neil.
Sam: And I'm Sam.
Neil: In this programme we'll be
talking about the emotion of shame.
What can you tell us
about this word, Sam?
Sam: Well, it can be a verb or a noun.
As a noun it's an emotion
for the uncomfortable feeling we have
when we feel embarrassed or guilty
about something that we've done.
It's a very strong feeling.
Neil: We'll explore this topic in more detail
shortly, but first a question. Now it might
seem like a random question,
but all will become clear later, I promise.
The chemical which was used
to make cooking pans non-stick was
discovered by accident, when was this?
Was it... a) 1930s, b) 1960s or c) 1980s?
What do you think, Sam?
Sam: Ah ... well, first, I've no idea
what non-stick cookware has
to do with our topic of shame
but as to the question itself, I think
it has something to do with Nasa and
the space programme, so
I'm going to say 1960s.
Neil: Well, we will find out later
in the programme if you are right.
The idea of shame is not new,
by any means, but social media has made
it a very modern concept, hasn't it?
Sam: Yes, when it's used as a verb,
to shame someone, it means
to say or write things in public
designed to make other people feel
bad about their behaviour
and this is something
we see a lot in social media.
Neil: This topic was discussed on a recent
edition of the BBC radio programme
Woman's Hour.
One of the guests was Hetta Howes from
City University, London. Does she think
that shame is always a bad thing?
Hetta Howes: If you have
too much shame it's crippling,
it's sort of debilitating and that's bad,
but the right amount of shame can be
really positive because it effects change
and I wonder if we're starting to see that
a bit in modern culture as well from sort
of social media platforms because
if someone's done something that
we consider to be a little bit wrong
we can sort of publicly
shame them and maybe effect
some positive change.
Neil: So is shame always bad?
Sam: Well, she does say that too much
shame can be crippling and debilitating.
Both these words mean that
shame is so strong that we really
can't manage the emotion, we can't
deal with it, we can't do anything
to put it right. But she does say
that a bit of shame can be positive
because it effects change.
This means that it causes change.
If someone is shamed on social media,
it's very public and can mean
that they change their behaviour.
Neil: I suppose though there is one group
I think have to accept public shaming, and
perhaps deserve it more than others.
Sam: I think I can guess. Would it be
politicians, perhaps?
These days we are very cynical about
politicians, aren't we? Social media is one
area where the public can directly contact
and comment on what
their representatives are or aren't doing.
Neil: But politicians are a particular kind
of person, aren't they? Cultural historian
Tiffany Watt-Smith made this comment
on the same Woman's Hour programme.
Tiffany Watt-Smith: Shame is... can be very
very useful and the idea
of someone who doesn't
experience that at all, like a sort of
Teflon-coated politician, I mean, that's...
that's a kind of frightening image.
Neil: What's she saying here, Sam?
Sam: She's talking about how
some politicians to do not seem to be
bothered by shaming.
They just ignore it and move on.
She describes them as Teflon coated.
This is - aha - a reference to non-stick
cookware! Teflon is the brand name
of the chemical which was used to make
pots and pans non-stick.
The pans were coated or covered
in this material. The reference
to politicians is that there are some
to whom criticism and shame
just don't stick. They manage to avoid
any negative consequences of their
actions and this, she says, is scary.
Neil: Here's Tiffany Watt-Smith again.
Tiffany Watt-Smith: Shame is... can be very
very useful and the idea
of someone who doesn't
experience that at all, like a sort of
Teflon-coated politician, I mean, that's...
that's a kind of frightening image.
Neil: It's nearly time now to review
our vocabulary, but first, let's have
the answer to the quiz question,
which was about non-stick coating
on cookware, or Teflon, as we heard.
When was it invented?
a) 1930s, b) 1960s or c) 1980s?
What did you think, Sam?
Sam: I guessed the 1960s and I think
it was invented as part of
the US space programme.
Neil: Well, a lot of people think that and,
like you, a lot of people are wrong. It was
actually discovered, by accident, in 1938.
So well done if you got that right but no
shame if you didn't!
Now on with today's words.
Sam: OK. Yes, we were talking
about shame, an uncomfortable
feeling of guilt and embarrassment
at something we've done.
Neil: Shame can be crippling
and debilitating. Both these adjectives
mean making someone unable to deal
with the situation. They can feel so badly
about what they have done that
they find it difficult
to move forward emotionally.
Sam: We then had to effect change.
This means to make change happen.
Note this is 'effect'
with an 'e' and not 'affect' with an 'a'.
Neil: Teflon is a non-stick covering
for cookware.
Sam: And something that is coated
with something is covered
with something. So Teflon coated
means covered in Teflon.
Neil: Well, that's all for this programme.
We'll be with you again soon, but if you can't
wait, you can find us in all
the usual places on social media,
online and on our app. Just
search for bbclearninglish. Goodbye!
Sam: Bye!
