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“Put on the Diamonds”: Notes on Humiliation

harpers.org

31–40 of 62 posts

Re: “Put on the Diamonds”: Notes on Humiliation

#31
post #7

It's so much easier to value yourself when someone else genuinely shows that they value you too. Make sure the people you love know that you value them. Make it a habit to greet them at the door when they come home, and to always tell them sweet dreams when you go to sleep. These affirmations build up an ablative layer that protects against life's daily indignities, I think.

It is easy however to become dependent on this affirmations (and hence other people and their sometimes fickle approval).

when people find themselves in this type of situation, sometimes they lash out, or try to be controlling/manipulative when they stop getting them, instead of being self reflective and figuring out why and addressing. Sometimes there IS nothing that can do to address it - a bogus accusation from someone else, or affirmations built on some material wealth that disappeared, or whatever.

Many people believe the affirmations they see are genuine, but when tested they turn out not to be.

It’s also easy for it to be a kind of hedonic treadmill, with someone chasing ever strong and strong affirmations to make up for a pain or fear that won’t go away, and is not faced, overdoing what you are describing to the point it is hostile and toxic.

If you look in the media, these patterns are very, very visible.

And inevitably, for any number of reasons, the affirmations will stop or reduce in number or impact - even if just due to normal variation - even if 100% genuine and healthy. Kids go to college, or partners drift apart, or everyone gets so used to it they stop noticing.

Some of the discussion from others above can be helpful here, as being ok just ‘being’ is a much more stable place, and requires only that which the person themself has (somewhat) control over - themselves.

Re: “Put on the Diamonds”: Notes on Humiliation

#32
post #13

I guess this is kinda judgmental on my part, but I feel like a lot of the personal anecdotes you hear about from.. older Americans.. seem totally anachronistic and bizarre. Like: > On the other hand, I have a cousin, a doctor, who feels humiliated if he’s shortchanged in a grocery store. His wife, too: if another woman is wearing the same dress at a party, she feels humiliated. Like -- who are these people? They just…

[deleted]

Re: “Put on the Diamonds”: Notes on Humiliation

#33
post #10

good introduction, do we have any way to end humiliation of a country? this will be best way to end wars.

Most wars are fought due to resource scarcity - either commodity materials, food, or something else scarce.

Humiliating a country is often done through extreme resource extraction and/or subjugation (where existing resources are controlled, at a minimum, if not directly extracted).

Adding ideological humiliation on top of it can make the fire burn hotter once lit, but is rarely the direct cause.

WW 2 was a good hexample of this - the crushing penalties on the German economy + the ideological humiliation fed a fire the world has not seen for a long time.

But if Germany had been allowed to prosper, but been humiliated? Unlikely they would have been the aggressor. For evidence, see what happened Ww2, where that is essentially exactly what happened.

If they been made poor the way they were, but otherwise treated well? Hitler may not have been the figurehead, but someone would have, and a war would have been inevitable. It probably would have been less vicious and pointlessly destructive of lives and property - but not by that much.

Re: “Put on the Diamonds”: Notes on Humiliation

#34
post #13

I guess this is kinda judgmental on my part, but I feel like a lot of the personal anecdotes you hear about from.. older Americans.. seem totally anachronistic and bizarre. Like: > On the other hand, I have a cousin, a doctor, who feels humiliated if he’s shortchanged in a grocery store. His wife, too: if another woman is wearing the same dress at a party, she feels humiliated. Like -- who are these people? They just…

I'm a millenial and as I read this, I got a strong visceral feeling like the one you're describing but about you . Not you personally, but the narrative you just posted. Do you really feel confident that millenials don't have any culturally systematic pettiness and arrogance? The social media generation, the neurotic depressed generation, the generation that has originated no novel politics... they are categorically…

Oh, I'm sure millennials (as a generalization) have their own new varieties of petty pride. Just, the particular brand described the article feels like its age has passed and I'm glad for it.

Re: “Put on the Diamonds”: Notes on Humiliation

#35

There is such a thing as forgiveness. In Buddhism there is a form of meditation called "metta", sometimes translated as "loving-kindness" meditation. The way I've been taught to do it is to wish sincerely to yourself, "May I be happy, may I be healthy, may I be safe." Then bring one's attention to those one most loves and think, "May they be happy, may they be healthy, may they be safe." Then repeat that for the peop…

Does Buddhism talk at all about the difference between acquiescence and forgiveness? I think that's usually among the thoughts on the minds of people who might hesitate to forgive, and I'd imagine it's come up before.

Re: “Put on the Diamonds”: Notes on Humiliation

#36

There is such a thing as forgiveness. In Buddhism there is a form of meditation called "metta", sometimes translated as "loving-kindness" meditation. The way I've been taught to do it is to wish sincerely to yourself, "May I be happy, may I be healthy, may I be safe." Then bring one's attention to those one most loves and think, "May they be happy, may they be healthy, may they be safe." Then repeat that for the peop…

It should go without saying, but just in case: If you happen to be on the other end of the spectrum - someone who tends to blame themselves and easily forgives others. If you find yourself constantly forgiving someone who is damaging you then you need to focus on getting out of harm's way first. Then, by all means, forgive them from a distance.

Re: “Put on the Diamonds”: Notes on Humiliation

#37
post #33
post #10

good introduction, do we have any way to end humiliation of a country? this will be best way to end wars.

Most wars are fought due to resource scarcity - either commodity materials, food, or something else scarce. Humiliating a country is often done through extreme resource extraction and/or subjugation (where existing resources are controlled, at a minimum, if not directly extracted). Adding ideological humiliation on top of it can make the fire burn hotter once lit, but is rarely the direct cause. WW 2 was a good hexam…

I disagree with your first sentence - resource scarcity may happen and a country may be impoverished, but deciding to go to war is not an economic decision but rather a very personal one. Negotiations and deals are about resources, wars are about egos and beliefs.

Re: “Put on the Diamonds”: Notes on Humiliation

#38

There is such a thing as forgiveness. In Buddhism there is a form of meditation called "metta", sometimes translated as "loving-kindness" meditation. The way I've been taught to do it is to wish sincerely to yourself, "May I be happy, may I be healthy, may I be safe." Then bring one's attention to those one most loves and think, "May they be happy, may they be healthy, may they be safe." Then repeat that for the peop…

Does Buddhism talk at all about the difference between acquiescence and forgiveness? I think that's usually among the thoughts on the minds of people who might hesitate to forgive, and I'd imagine it's come up before.

The approach I've most often heard taken is one of opposing the action, but not hating the person. You can have forgiveness and even compassion for the person while opposing what they do.

Re: “Put on the Diamonds”: Notes on Humiliation

#40
post #3

Anyone else disappointed not to hear more about the Sheila interaction?

I think she should have left it out. As anecdotes about humiliation go, it's not much. There's no mention that Sheila publicly shamed her (as the author, by the way, has now publicly shamed Sheila), she just didn't want to be friends anymore. And she's still holding a grudge against her erstwhile friend from when she was 13? People grow apart, especially around major life transitions like adolescence.

It's also the consequence of being shackled to a literary technique common to these long form articles, for authors to write themselves into the piece, in order to make the content more relatable to the audience. It's a form of exhibitionism, where the author has to come up with something recognizable, but not too revealing or truly heart wrecking. Something milquetoast form adolescence will do in a pinch.

I am sure these sort of confessionals used to come across as audacious. Now, it's just a tired trope of the format.

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