#266: Why You Feel Shame (Evolutionary Psychologist Explains) - Debra Lieberman

About this episode

Dr. Debra Lieberman discusses the evolutionary roots of shame and guilt and their impact on modern life.

Why do we feel shame? Why does guilt hit so deeply? And why do some people seem to carry these emotions far more intensely than others? In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Debra Lieberman — evolutionary psychologist, professor at the University of Miami, and Editor-in-Chief of Evolution and Human Behavior — to explore why humans evolved to feel shame and guilt, and what these emotions are actually trying to do. We talk about the evolutionary purpose of shame, the difference between shame and guilt, why high-functioning people can be especially prone to self-criticism, how social media hijacks our need for social value, and why learning to value yourself changes everything. This episode will help you change your life by changing how you deal with shame. Dr. Debra Lieberman is an evolutionary psychologist whose research explores how evolution shaped the social mind, including emotions like shame, guilt, disgust, morality, kinship, sexuality, and cooperation. Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (00:23) Meet Dr Deborah Lieberman (01:05) Evolutionary Software Of Emotions (02:42) Social Value And Gratitude (05:55) Why Shame Shows Up (08:45) Shame Versus Anger Leverage (10:35) Locus Of…

People in this episode

Host: Nick Bracks

Guest: Debra Lieberman

Topics covered

• shame
• guilt
• evolutionary psychology
• social media
• self-criticism
• mental health

Keywords

• shame
• guilt
• evolutionary psychology
• self-criticism
• social media
• mental health
• validation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Miami, Evolution and Human Behavior

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