Dharmapunx NYC Internalizing Shame: The Psychological Tolls of Late Stage Capitalism and How to Protect Our Sense of Self
Oct 9, 2024
Dive into the intertwining of shame, late-stage capitalism, and mental health. Discover how feelings often drive decisions and the detrimental impact of wealth inequality. Explore the American meritocracy myth and its psychological implications, alongside comparisons with welfare models in Denmark and Bhutan. Learn how structural failures become personal shame, and the emotional remedies people seek in consumption. Josh offers practical tools, Buddhist practices, and a guided meditation to foster resilience and self-worth amidst challenging societal pressures.
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Inequality Harms Collective Health
- Wealth inequality correlates with worse mental and physical health across society.
- Josh Korda cites stats: top 1% hold 40% of wealth while bottom 50% hold 2%.
Bhutan's Equality Example
- Josh Korda contrasts Bhutan's low income but equitable distribution and low mental-health crises.
- He notes Bhutan's policies produce collective well-being despite low GDP per capita.
Numbing Replaces Structural Fixes
- Late-stage capitalism supplies cheap numbing—drugs and consumerism—to cope with systemic shame.
- Josh Korda references the Kakavati Sutta warning that inequality breeds decay and crime.