panocha21
07-19-2006, 07:33 PM
Listen to the lyrics of Right in Two. Imagine the picture Maynard is attempting to paint in your brain. Spiritually perfect angels looking down on humans from the sidelines, puzzled and amused. Monkeys killing monkeys over pieces of the ground. Silly monkeys beating each other up with clubs. How do you feel? I don't know about you, but I feel ashamed to be human.
And so is the point of this song. To show how potent shamefulness can be in terms of building followers and strengthening religious and spiritual beliefs. Here's what Wikipedia said about Shame (namely "Religous" shame).
"Religious shame
Shame is a key (if controversial) theme in religion. Religions that claim only God or other spiritual beings are perfect in that sense impute a certain kind of shame on human beings. In many cases, that shame is associated with sexuality and other carnal characteristics of human beings, though others would argue that only sinful expressions of those characterstics should be shameful.
Religious faith can create the basis for shame because shame reflects internalized ideas as to what is right and proper and about what is wrong and improper. This means that torture tactics intended to shame religious adherents might merely titillate other people (e.g., nudity). Conversely, religions may associate honor with certain behaviors (e.g, martyrdom in Christianity, veils in Islam) that others consider shameful. The ideas and the strength with which religious (and other) ideas are held seems to influence whether shame occurs and how much shame occurs in a subject."
And so, there you have it. Shame is as powerful a tool as something like fear. There is a direct correlation between the strength with which you practice your religion and the amount of shame you have. Shame plays a key role in keeping you humbled and in your place. Shame is a key ingredient in your spiritual well-being (or maybe not?).
Also, I noticed something interesting about Wikipedia's take on shame. They talk about something called Vicarious shame. Since Vicarious is a song and a theme to this album, here's what they say about it.
" Vicarious shame
Psychologists recently introduced the notion of vicarious shame, which refers to the experience of shame on behalf of another person. Individuals vary in their tendency to experience vicarious shame, which is related to neuroticism and to the tendency to experience personal shame. Extremely shame-prone people might even experience vicarious shame: shame on behalf of another person who is already feeling shame on behalf of a third party (or possibly on behalf of the individual proper).
And so is the point of this song. To show how potent shamefulness can be in terms of building followers and strengthening religious and spiritual beliefs. Here's what Wikipedia said about Shame (namely "Religous" shame).
"Religious shame
Shame is a key (if controversial) theme in religion. Religions that claim only God or other spiritual beings are perfect in that sense impute a certain kind of shame on human beings. In many cases, that shame is associated with sexuality and other carnal characteristics of human beings, though others would argue that only sinful expressions of those characterstics should be shameful.
Religious faith can create the basis for shame because shame reflects internalized ideas as to what is right and proper and about what is wrong and improper. This means that torture tactics intended to shame religious adherents might merely titillate other people (e.g., nudity). Conversely, religions may associate honor with certain behaviors (e.g, martyrdom in Christianity, veils in Islam) that others consider shameful. The ideas and the strength with which religious (and other) ideas are held seems to influence whether shame occurs and how much shame occurs in a subject."
And so, there you have it. Shame is as powerful a tool as something like fear. There is a direct correlation between the strength with which you practice your religion and the amount of shame you have. Shame plays a key role in keeping you humbled and in your place. Shame is a key ingredient in your spiritual well-being (or maybe not?).
Also, I noticed something interesting about Wikipedia's take on shame. They talk about something called Vicarious shame. Since Vicarious is a song and a theme to this album, here's what they say about it.
" Vicarious shame
Psychologists recently introduced the notion of vicarious shame, which refers to the experience of shame on behalf of another person. Individuals vary in their tendency to experience vicarious shame, which is related to neuroticism and to the tendency to experience personal shame. Extremely shame-prone people might even experience vicarious shame: shame on behalf of another person who is already feeling shame on behalf of a third party (or possibly on behalf of the individual proper).