The (Un) Examined Life Is Not Worth Living

ABSTRACT

Under what conditions might shame lead to an expansion of self-states rather than remain toxic. If shame is to be used as a pilot light to recalibrate the relationship with self and other how can the precondition of fluidity between objective and subjective awareness be promoted. Following an exploration of Anen’s excellent paper that explores white fragility and includes a touching illustrative case study I suggest that using shame productively in the context of being sent a message to check one’s privilege is no mean feat. Furthermore, there is no obligation on the messenger to deliver the message in any particular manner. Nevertheless, how the message is delivered does have an effect and the importance of context cannot be overestimated. The issue of racial privilege is embedded in power relations and these differ according to context and country.

This article refers to:

Narcissistic States of White Privilege and the Constructive Potential of Shame

View responses to this article:

On Our Own or Together – A Reply to Holmes and Straker

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Gillian Straker

Gillian Straker is a psychoanalytic psychotherapist and supervisor in private practice, co-director of the Centre for Applied Studies in Psychotherapy and Counselling (CASPC) and is involved in several local and international training programs. She has worked with UNHCR on programs for refugees and survivors of torture and detention. She was involved in providing counseling services to individuals on the run from the Apartheid State and has published numerous articles in the field of continuing traumatic stress. She has published two books Faces in the Revolution coauthored with the Sanctuaries Counselling Team and the Talking Cure coauthored with Jacqui Winship. With Rachel Burton and Andy Geeves she has a podcast series entitled threeassociating.com adventures in relational psychoanalytic psychotherapy supervision.