Shame is one of the oldest tools for keeping people quiet. Make someone feel embarrassed enough about who they are, and you can often stop them from speaking up or standing their ground. Melinda French Gates, a philanthropist who has spent years working on women's health around the world, points to one place she believes this happens. When women try to have a say over whether and when they have children, she argues, one common way to shut down the conversation is to shame them. Beneath her specific point about women lies a broader and very human truth about how shame works, and why it is worth recognising.
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