If I had less concern for privacy, then interpersonal relationships would be better. The emphasis on the maintenance of a private side to life encouraged dual lives, the Esalen leaders explained. People present one view of themselves to the public and a different view of themselves to a few intimate associates. This unintegrated life renders people vulnerable, shame ridden, and lacking in a clear sense of self. They told me that privacy creates a context in which deceit and hypocrisy may flourish.
Privacy protects the guilty from taking responsibility for their actions.
Privacy is moral cowardice, an excuse not to stand up and state our views and accept whatever unpopularity might follow. The California gurus suggested that human beings should lead more open, more spontaneous, less guarded lives. They preached that we would have little to fear from disclosures of self because we would have nothing that requires hiding. It did sound appealing. It is enough to make us feel guilty about our inhibited lives.