Spotlight
Feb 14 2023
What would they think?
The thought that's always there
hovering.
The looming peril of shame;
the spotlight
that follows your every move;
the disembodied eyes
peering from out of the darkness.
Except they wouldn't, don’t, will not.
They are too immersed
in themselves
to bother.
Too distracted
by the eyes drilling into them.
Too exposed
in their own glass house
to risk casting stones.
Still, without shame, where would we be?
Along with its constant companion
the worm of guilt
gnawing away from within.
Your inner demons, restrained,
reptilian brain
socialized.
And only when
in the unlikely event
you are pure
and without sin yourself,
will your icy glare
turn on those who fail.
Psychopaths and con-men know how easy it is to hide in plain sight: no one is paying attention, everyone's too self-absorbed. But the spotlight is a useful delusion. Because for social animals, who must get along not only to survive but to thrive, shame is the most powerful instrument of social control. Shame from without; guilt from within. So for ”normal” people — that is, those who have a conscience, as well as compunction — even knowing you can probably get away with it, you don’t.
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