Is Shame Necessary?

Is Shame Necessary?

New Uses for an Old Tool

Summary

In Is Shame Necessary? rising star Jennifer Jacquet shows that we have to use shame if we want to bring about political change and hold the powerful to account

In cultures that champion the individual, guilt is seen as the cornerstone of conscience yet it proves impotent in the face of corrupt corporate policies. Jennifer Jacquet persuasively argues that modern-day shaming is a non-violent form of resistance that can be used to bring about large-scale change. Shaming, Jacquet shows, works best when used sparingly, but when applied in just the right way and at just the right time, it can keep us from failing ourselves.

'Shaming is society's natural stabilizer and organic risk-management mechanism, and one that is ignored in modernity, particularly in the virtual world. Worse: it has been largely ignored by researchers before Jennifer Jacquet, whose book gives us an insightful treatment of a vital topic' Nassim Taleb, author of Antifragile

Reviews

  • Thought-provoking treatise on the soft power of opprobrium, and its important role in achieving social cohesion in an ever more individualised culture... timely and urgent
    Economist

About the author

Jennifer Jacquet

Jennifer Jacquet is an associate professor in the Department of Environmental Studies and director of XE: Experimental Humanities and Social Engagement at New York University, as well as the author of the acclaimed Is Shame Necessary?
Learn More

More from this Author

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more