--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The feeling of shame has the same demonic…" description: "\"“The feeling of shame has the same demonic potential to encompass our whole personality. Instead of the momentary feeling of being limited, making a mi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c0/john-bradshaw-2227_making-a-mistake_the-feeling-of-shame-has-the-same-demoni_1669582.jpg" --- # The feeling of shame has the same demonic potential to… ![“The feeling of shame has the same demonic potential to encompass our whole personality. Instead of the momentary feeling of being limited, making a mistake, littleness, or being less attractive or talented than someone else, a person can come to believe that his whole self is fundamentally flawed…” quote by John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c0/john-bradshaw-2227_making-a-mistake_the-feeling-of-shame-has-the-same-demoni_1669582.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c0/john-bradshaw-2227_making-a-mistake_the-feeling-of-shame-has-the-same-demoni_1669582.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c0/john-bradshaw-2227_making-a-mistake_the-feeling-of-shame-has-the-same-demoni_1669582.jpg) > ““The feeling of shame has the same demonic potential to encompass our whole personality. Instead of the momentary feeling of being limited, making a mistake, littleness, or being less attractive or talented than someone else, a person can come to believe that his whole self is fundamentally flawed and defective. Such a person does not have his healthy guilt (moral shame) available to him. Healthy guilt would say, “I made a mistake or a blunder, and I can repair that blunder.” When a person’s guilt has become neurotic, it becomes an “immorality shame.”” [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Shame can become all‑consuming, turning a single mistake into a belief that the whole self is defective, blocking healthy guilt and repair. **In simple terms:** Shame can dominate self‑view Key Takeaway Distinguish healthy guilt from toxic shame and practice self‑compassion. Themes psychology shame self‑esteem healing growth Mood reflective empathetic Type therapeutic motivational When to use this quote - therapy - personal journaling - support groups - mindfulness practice Key Concepts Cognitive distortion self‑criticism emotional regulation Questions to Reflect On - What triggers your shift from guilt to shame? - How can you cultivate healthier self‑talk? A Different Perspective Overcoming shame may be difficult without external support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Guilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilt/) [Guilt Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilt-moral-843351/) [Guilt Neurotic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilt-neurotic-843354/) [Immorality Shame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immorality-shame-843350/) [Making a mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-a-mistake/) [Moral Shame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-shame-843353/) [Person Guilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person-guilt-843352/) [Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/) [Shame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shame/) ## Related quotes > [What is guilt? 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But it's mine to make.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-yoon/am-i-making-a-mistake-maybe-but-it-s-mine-to-make/) [Nicola Yoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-yoon/) > [My rooting interest these days is first and foremost competitive hockey, and secondly in officials not making a mistake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bettman/my-rooting-interest-these-days-is-first-and-foremost-competitive/) [Gary Bettman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bettman/) > [Nothing will stop you being creative more effectively as the fear of making a mistake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/nothing-will-stop-you-being-creative-more-effectively-as-the-fear-of/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [No one is perfect, everyone is capable of making a mistake, so drop the attitude, and give people a second chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-one-is-perfect-everyone-is-capable-of-making-a-mistake-so-drop-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Demand perfection of yourself and you'll seldom attain it. Fear of making a mistake is the biggest single cause of making one. Relax -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-winter/demand-perfection-of-yourself-and-you-ll-seldom-attain-it-fear-of/) [Lloyd Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-winter/) > [ “To the Jacobins of this epoch \[the French Revolution\], as well as to those of our times, this popular entity constitutes a superior personality… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-le-bon/to-the-jacobins-of-this-epoch-the-french-revolution-as-well-as-to/) [Gustave Le Bon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-le-bon/) > [“No, of course not," Belle said, playfully swatting him on the shoulder. "I never, never even once thought I was making a mistake. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-quinn/no-of-course-not-belle-said-playfully-swatting-him-on-the-shoulder-i/) [Julia Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-quinn/) > [Anything from making a mistake on an experiment that would ruin some scientist on earth's experiment - career, potentially - to doing something wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-ride/anything-from-making-a-mistake-on-an-experiment-that-would-ruin-some/) [Sally Ride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-ride/) > [“I think you’re making a mistake,” she whispered. “You don’t need to go that party to meet a guy, you’ve got one that’s crazy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-mcguire/i-think-you-re-making-a-mistake-she-whispered-you-don-t-need-to-go/) [Jamie McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-mcguire/) > [Making a mistake is also an achievement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-dewar-1st-baron-dewar/making-a-mistake-is-also-an-achievement/) [Thomas Dewar, 1st Baron Dewar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-dewar-1st-baron-dewar/) > [Learning to play the guitar is a combination of mental and motor skill acquisition. And to develop motor skill, repetition is essential... Whenever musicians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-roberts/learning-to-play-the-guitar-is-a-combination-of-mental-and-motor/) [Howard Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-roberts/) > [“You know, sometimes marriage is iron. Sometimes it’s tissue paper. And I think the times it’s tissue paper are when you need to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/you-know-sometimes-marriage-is-iron-sometimes-it-s-tissue-paper-and-i/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) ## More by John Bradshaw > [Recovery begins with embracing our pain and taking the risk to share it with others. We do this by joining a group and talking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/recovery-begins-with-embracing-our-pain-and-taking-the-risk-to-share/) [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) > [“Generally speaking, most of our vital, spontaneous, instinctual life gets shamed. Children are shamed for being too rambunctious, for wanting things and for laughing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/generally-speaking-most-of-our-vital-spontaneous-instinctual-life/) [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) > [“A covert kind of sexual abuse occurs when Dad or Mom talk about sex in front of the children when the age level of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/a-covert-kind-of-sexual-abuse-occurs-when-dad-or-mom-talk-about-sex/) [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) > [I know from my own clinical work that when people are beaten and hurt, they numb out so that they cant feel anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/i-know-from-my-own-clinical-work-that-when-people-are-beaten-and-hurt/) [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) > [“Love-that which biologists, nervous about being misunderstood call "attachment"-fuels the bond between dog and master or mistress.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/love-that-which-biologists-nervous-about-being-misunderstood-call/) [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) > [“(b) Boundary Violation. 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They know their strengths, but they also know their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/i-define-a-good-person-as-somebody-who-is-fully-conscious-of-their/) [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) > [“The ego defense of conversion transforms developmental needs into the need for something else. This could be food, money or excessive attention. In Max’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/the-ego-defense-of-conversion-transforms-developmental-needs-into-the/) [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) > [“In fact, the most paradoxical aspect of neurotic shame is that it is the core motivator of the superachieved and the underachieved, the star…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/in-fact-the-most-paradoxical-aspect-of-neurotic-shame-is-that-it-is/) [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) > [“If our primary caregivers are shame-based, they will act shameless and pass their toxic shame onto us. There is no way to teach self-value…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/if-our-primary-caregivers-are-shame-based-they-will-act-shameless-and/) [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) > [Ego is to the true self what a flashlight is to a spotlight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/ego-is-to-the-true-self-what-a-flashlight-is-to-a-spotlight/) [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) > [“If a cat falls out of a high-rise building or a tall tree, it has another trick available: forming a “parachute” by spreading all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/if-a-cat-falls-out-of-a-high-rise-building-or-a-tall-tree-it-has/) [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) > [“In the past, when dogs’ functions were mostly rural, it was accepted that they were intrinsically messy and needed to be managed on their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/in-the-past-when-dogs-functions-were-mostly-rural-it-was-accepted/) [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) > [“IDENTIFICATION When victimization takes place the victim often identifies with the persecutor. By so doing the victim no longer feels the helplessness and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/identification-when-victimization-takes-place-the-victim-often/) [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) [Explore all 178 John Bradshaw quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) ## More Guilt quotes > [Never fight on the wrong side; you might win but the burden of guilt is more than a loss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilian-salan/never-fight-on-the-wrong-side-you-might-win-but-the-burden-of-guilt/) [Lilian Salan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilian-salan/) > [“As parents who make every effort we can to raise our children in loving security, we do not need to feel more guilt than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/as-parents-who-make-every-effort-we-can-to-raise-our-children-in/) [Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/) > [When the Lord Jesus Christ became my surety . . . He went to Calvary's cross, and all my guilt was charged against Him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/when-the-lord-jesus-christ-became-my-surety-he-went-to-calvary-s/) [Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/) > [“Even in the miserable guilt we feel over our beastlike insensitivity, the glory of God shines. If God were not gloriously desirable, why would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/even-in-the-miserable-guilt-we-feel-over-our-beastlike-insensitivity/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [“The sole reason I stand to open it up now is that lots of people who are in pain just like I was, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dsouza/the-sole-reason-i-stand-to-open-it-up-now-is-that-lots-of-people-who/) [Patricia Dsouza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dsouza/) > [But victimhood was seductive, a release from responsibility and caring. 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And money can make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/money-should-not-be-in-the-hands-of-individuals-otherwise-it-will/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Food ... love ... mother ... career ... Live every day to the fullest. Partake of the four basic guilt groups.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-guisewite/food-love-mother-career-live-every-day-to-the-fullest-partake-of-the/) [Cathy Guisewite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-guisewite/) > [Anger was better than tears, better than grief, better than guilt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/anger-was-better-than-tears-better-than-grief-better-than-guilt/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Phil and Hannah had decided that Christian guilt was better than bad math”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhoda-janzen/phil-and-hannah-had-decided-that-christian-guilt-was-better-than-bad/) [rhoda janzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhoda-janzen/) > [No amount of guilt can solve the past & No amount of anxiety can change the future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ananymous/no-amount-of-guilt-can-solve-the-past-no-amount-of-anxiety-can-change/) [Ananymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ananymous/) > [The essence of having fun is enjoying without guilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-essence-of-having-fun-is-enjoying-without-guilt/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If all the world hated you and believed you wicked, while your own conscience approved of you and absolved you from guilt, you would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/if-all-the-world-hated-you-and-believed-you-wicked-while-your-own/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) [Browse all 2,943 Guilt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilt/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The feeling of shame has the same demonic potential to encompass our whole personality. 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