In eastern parts of the world, there are cultures, the main basis of which is placed on shame and honor. So much so that it leads to questionable actions that may be considered crimes or up in people taking their own lives in order to maintain honor. Those cultures are often related to as “shame-based” and are being compared to “guilt-based” cultures of western countries. Perception of shame and guilt in different cultures plays an important role in people’s personalities and their vision of the world itself.
The main difference between shame-based and guilt-based cultures lies in the perception of what is right and what is wrong. Shame-based cultures heavily rely on the opinion of the society on people’s actions, while guilt-based cultures focus on personal values and fear of sin. Shame is built on the judgment of a large group of people and what that group considers as good, but guilt is grounded on a more inner level regardless of other people’s knowledge.
Qualities of each type of culture are being taught since childhood. In shame-based cultures, a lot of attention is paid to how an individual can support the whole group. The main aspects of it are the authority of the elders, maintaining social status, and mutually beneficial relationships. On the other hand, in guilt-based cultures, people’s individualism is more praised. Each person is treated separately and is responsible for their own actions and decisions. The differences in upbringing in these cultures demonstrate the way they relate to sin.
When looking at features of shame-based and guilt-based cultures, it becomes clear that there is not just one concrete definition of right and wrong, or what is considered sinister and what is not. There also cannot be just one way of how and by whom a person should or should not be judged. Concentrating only on shame or only on guilt without maintaining balance may devalue either person’s individualism or an opportunity for a fair trial and punishment.