From classrooms and locker rooms to workplaces and social media, Adam and Brené trace how shame and humiliation are used to control behavior and even fuel violence. They explore what causes shame, why our self-protective responses backfire, and how we can handle it more effectively. They also unpack the messy overlap between imposter syndrome and cultural pressures toward self-doubt.
You can find The Curiosity Shop on YouTube and Instagram (@thecuriosityshop).
Chapter Titles + Timestamps:
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0:00 - Introduction
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2:10 - The One, Two, Threes of Shame
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8:52 - The New Research on Humiliation
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14:04 - What Is Humiliation?
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18:30 - Why Don’t People Outgrow Shame?
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29:09 - How to Help People Out of Shame?
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38:05 - Reconnecting Your Prefrontal Cortex Post-Shame
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42:55 - How Does Shame Relate to Imposter Syndrome?
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50:10 - Biggest Takeaways About Shame, Guilt, Humiliation, and Embarrassment
Why Feelings of Guilt May Signal Leadership Potential - Marina Krakovsky, 2012, Insights by Stanford Business (Introducing the work of Schaumberg)
Unwanted identities: A key variable in shame-anger links and gender differences in shame - Ferguson et al., Sex Roles
Humiliation: Causes, correlates, and consequences - Elison & Harter, 2007, from The self‑conscious emotions: Theory and research
Healing Humiliation: From Reaction to Creative Action - Hartling & Linder, 2016, Journal of Counseling & Development Shame and Humiliation: From Isolation to Relational Transformation - Hartling et al., Stone Center for Developmental Services and Studies
Strengthening resilience in a risky world: It’s all about relationships - Hartling, 2003, Women & Therapy
Stop Telling Women They Have Imposter Syndrome - Ruchika Tulshyan & Jodi-Ann Burey, 2021, Harvard Business Review
How imposter syndrome can be your superpower - MIT Sloan Office Of Communications, 2025 (Introducing the work of Basima Tewfik)
Unmasking the Impostor - MIT Sloan Office of Communications, 2025 (Tewfik, Debunking 4 myths)
Listening to shame, Brené Brown, 2012, TED
The Power of Vulnerability, Brené Brown, 2011, TED
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