Shame and Temporality in the Streets

Shame and temporality, along with truth, provide crucial lenses for reflecting upon our present condition, and I will begin by briefly delineating these basic concepts. Following this, I will describe a provocative encounter on the streets of Seattle that provides insight into undercurrents that are visibly emerging in contemporary life. My hope is that this detailed example, along with a few others, will contribute to a deepened understanding of the contemporary scene, enhance the reader’s knowledge of shame and temporality and offer space to reflect upon these basic experiences. In the concluding part of the chapter, I amplify those reflections from the perspectives of several philosophers and psychoanalysts who share a deep concern about the future of the human being.