Episode 127 - How Large-Scale Humiliation Could Become Society’s Duct Tape

What forms of government-approved humiliation have actually changed people for the better? Have any? What about the war on drugs? Or making CEOs testify before congress?

On this second half of our investigation into humiliation as a motivating force, we take a look at larger societal issues and ask if humiliation has ever been helpful in finding fixes. First we look at the anti-drinking and anti-drug campaigns, which were intended to humiliate people into quitting. We also look at the non-humiliation-based solutions other countries have attempted. Solutions that don’t involve dumping $50 billion into a war on drugs that encourages more overdoses than it prevents. We’ll also look at humiliation as a tool to correct group behavior. Specifically, the criminal behavior of large corporations.

Did public humiliation “fix” Apple after they were dragged before the senate to testify about $100 billion they stashed in Ireland to avoid taxes? Did humiliation help reform the 900 crooked companies that were exposed when Australia made all corporate tax information public? And if companies are truly humiliation-proof, then is there anywhere humiliation has worked to correct the behavior of large communities? Whole cities, perhaps? What about a Columbian city that replaced its traffic cops with mimes…?

History Links:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/joeharpaz/2017/06/26/public-shaming-of-big-companies-not-as-big-a-deal-as-youd-think-but-not-going-away-anytime-soon/?sh=37caded46333

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDzIHM23Hmg&ab_channel=TheWalrus

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2004/03/academic-turns-city-into-a-social-experiment/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Neo8dZaFfjQ&ab_channel=Channel4News

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZ_xe6AI10A&ab_channel=MikeBloomberg

https://www.theverge.com/2021/10/7/22715229/ireland-status-tax-haven-google-facebook-apple

Science Links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY9DcIMGxMs&t=649s&ab_channel=TED

https://www.statista.com/chart/20616/key-developments-since-portugal-decriminalized-drugs/

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Episode 128 - How Pranking Became The Domain Of Internet Sociopaths

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Episode 126 - The Secret Alchemy Of Transforming Humiliation Into Humbleness