I have been thinking about public shaming a lot over the last while – especially about how hard it is to get over it. We have probably all had the experience of getting caught doing something we shouldn’t have (parking carelessly) or not doing something we should have (picking up dog poop) and being called out on it by a complete stranger. We know we’re wrong – why do we feel so defensive? I think it might come back to how it doesn’t feel fair because it doesn’t take into account the bigger picture. That we were in a hurry and didn’t see how we were parking or that we pick up after the dog 99% of the time but didn’t have a bag that once. Or maybe even that we really ARE a good person overall and not deserving of being judged by one incident. The context of behavior is so important, and public shaming never gives us a chance to have our behavior judged in context.