When is shamelessness adaptive?
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When the network of people you’re operating in is larger than some Dunbar scale we’re built for, I think you can ratchet up shamelessness proportional to the decreased average visibility of your behavior. Maybe also higher leverage in networks where norms are unclear.
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Unless it's combined with delusional thinking, almost always....
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When shame is a prominent soft tool of censorship of outliers. Those with less social standing can use it (riskily) to bypass denial of some arenas of life. Those with greater social standing can trade influence with some in order to weather dangers of success standing out.
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Exposure therapy for shame-induced anxieties. Also in environments where shame is the dominating mode of social enforcement.
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Whenever social norms are sufficiently harmful for you individually that defection becomes your best move. Shamelessness cushions the shock of norm violation.
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