Life after Shame Research Papers and Essays Ronnie Oldham Life after Shame Dick Gregory's discussion of childhood experiences reminds me of my own first feelings of shame. Like Dick, I was a bastard child of a single welfare mother. Like other children, I wanted to fit in, be part of the group, be accepted. It's a good feeling, even for an adult.
Children begin to recognize pleasure as early as infancy.
They also learn to avoid those experiences that cause pain. I was no different. I knew the ecstasy of getting my own bicycle, the sense of adventure of following the creek all the way to the river, the feeling of power playing soldier in my fortified treehouse and the interspersed pain of ridicule and embarrassment. The worst pain was the shame of public humiliation, the emotion I felt when dishonored or disgraced in front of those I wanted most to impress. Making and having money seemed an effective means of compensating for feelings of inadequacy.