In modern society, the concept of shame can be seen as the loss of that inner sense of disgrace which once served as a natural moral constraint, signaling a breach of self-control and responsibility.

Evolving Shame: How Modern Culture Redefines Moral Boundaries

In modern society, the concept of shame can be seen as the loss of that inner sense of disgrace which once served as a natural moral constraint, signaling a breach of self-control and responsibility. In the past, shame functioned as a warning and a guardian of personal honor; however, today mass culture has transformed this notion, giving it the tint of an empty label that strips a person of internal guidance.

For example, one excerpt clearly states:
"But nowadays, in most families, God is not mentioned. As for the shame before others, mass culture has branded that feeling with disgrace. 'Don’t care about what others think! Be free! The main thing is that you like it. You can’t please everyone anyway. Regret nothing!' — it is in this vein that one is urged to think, feel, and act like 'a person without complexes.' Private shame is generally sought to be uprooted altogether by proclaiming the slogan 'What’s natural is nothing to be ashamed of' and supporting it with obsessive comparisons of humans to animals." (source: link txt)

This fragment underscores that modern culture seeks to deprive individuals of the natural mechanism of self-criticism, turning the inner feeling of shame into something secondary which, instead of fostering moral responsibility, becomes an object of disregard. Thus, in contemporary society, shame is often not understood as a call for self-reflection and reassessment of one’s actions, but rather as an external imposition, a product of trendy ideas that champion freedom from complexes and public approval.

Additionally, the classical distinction between two types of shame—the fear of exposed feelings and the fear of vice—demonstrates that, historically, shame played a crucial role in maintaining internal moral boundaries. Yet modern times tend to overlook this fundamental aspect, allowing shame to morph into a marker of disgraceful behavior, devoid of deeper self-awareness.

In defining the concept of shame in today’s culture, it can be said that it expresses a rejection of traditional internal control, which normally leads to self-restraint, while simultaneously becoming a symbol of external condemnation—often blurred and replaced by calls for unbridled freedom and indifference to the opinions of others.