To discern the higher emotions from the lower, let us make a comparison between a human being and a lesser-developed animal such as a chimpanzee. It is fair to say that emotions and brain-functions that can be associated with humans alone are higher than those that can be felt or performed by both the human and the chimp. As such it may be said that emotions such as lust, envy, greed, and anger are lower emotions, since the chimp can feel these as easily as any human. However, there is no evidence that emotions such as pride and shame are felt by the lower classes of beings in any way. These exclusively human impulses shall be referred to as higher emotions. They are what separates us from other animals and what allows us to operate and maintain a civilized society.
It is also important to note that this classification can be applied to actions and brain-functions as well. Much has been made over the years of studies in which scientists have been able to produce humanlike behavior in monkeys (stacking blocks, recognizing the “value” of colored poker chips, and so on). Many have suggested this as evidence that monkeys possess nearly-human intelligence, but I disagree with this assessment. Rather, it should be looked at as evidence that certain actions are instinctual to varying degrees in the animal kingdom as a means of survival. If the monkey must learn to operate a machine in order to receive food, it will learn to operate the machine (or, failing that, will steal from a monkey who has mastered the machine). Similarly, most of us will without questioning it take a breakfast or brunch at some point during the morning in order to have the energy necessary to go about our daily tasks. The point here is that no human needs to be taught these basic actions, although they can be reinforced by example. We should not complete our day without ever rising above this routine level of existence.
What a human should aspire to are the actions and emotions that are common to humans alone. For example, any animal can fight with another animal over its mate, but only a human can write a love sonnet to his beloved. Obviously, the monkeys’ lack of a written language has inhibited their intellectual development, but since we have progressed past that point ourselves, we can safely leave the problem to the monkeys. More important to us are the emotions which humans, alone among earthly creatures, experience in any noticeable way. The two most important for our purposes, as I have mentioned, are pride and shame. I have linked the two because it is impossible to have one in the absence of the other.
Let us now define these terms for future reference. To go back to the forest analogy, this will give us our hiking boots, allowing us to maintain a firm footing no matter what terrain we may encounter. Remembering the role that these emotions play will prevent us from slipping on rocks of frustration as we forge into the more confusing parts of the wilderness. With that said, let us define shame as the acute realization and acknowledgment that one has done something morally wrong. This does not necessarily need to be on a conscious level; such common responses as flushing or a “sinking feeling” are also demonstrations of shame. It is important not to confuse shame with guilt, as is so often done in our times. Shame does not involve dwelling on an offense; it should be a brief but very definite emotion.
The common complaint of modern “desensitization” arises from this. It is not that people are desensitized per se, but rather that they do not feel an appropriate level of shame. When hearing about daytime talk shows that border on pornography, I cannot help flushing for those involved with the shows. I was shocked, disappointed and ashamed the day that I learned of the sad case of Scott Amedure. Amedure was a gay man who was very much in love with one of his coworkers. One of the talk shows got wind of this and invited the coworker, who was a definite heterosexual, onto an episode about secret admirers. Please note that the other couples “united” o