Resurrecting Shame

I recently read a book of essays by restorative justice guru Howard Zehr in which he  rejects the shaming of both victims and perpetrators of harm. But as I watch billionaires and millionaires push plans to slash vital programs while amassing even greater wealth, I can’t help but feel nostalgic for a time when shame mattered. Unchecked greed once provoked outrage and censure—today, it seems to inspire admiration, with some people asking themselves, Why didn’t I think of that?

One of the most fascinating insights from my research on elder justice is that when the Founding Fathers enshrined the right to pursue happiness, they were drawing from classical moralists who defined happiness not as pleasure or comfort, but as the pursuit of virtue—qualities like moderation and honesty.

Perhaps today’s leaders would do well to revisit that wisdom.