Musings 12 December 21

I was shamed….at least I think I was.

It’s hard to tell if it’s just a flippant comment or someone praying on my Imposter Syndrome.

There’s body shaming (people using your size against you), or slut shaming (a way of people telling you they are uncomfortable with your overt sexuality). There’s pet-shaming, child-shaming, parent-shaming..sigh….let’s face it…anything you want to silent the critics on and slap a label on it, just add Shaming to the end of it.

Is there such a thing as money-shaming? There must be.

Let’s see…there’s having money - which lends itself to labels such as ‘rich bitch’ or ‘must be stuck up’. Or not having money - ‘struggling’, ‘not good with money’ are phrases thrown around, normally behind backs or whispered in undertones. Then there’s shameless spending- ‘irresponsible’, ‘not careful’. What about not spending money, which makes you ‘cheap’, ‘tight’ or as nice as it gets: ‘careful’?

I’ve been hit both ways. This particular exchange was wanting money or in my case earning money, on my own accord. I believe I fell victim to this phenomenon at an awards night, about a month ago, and it’s not the first time either. I just couldn’t put a name to it.

‘It’s basically anything that makes you feel like dog pooh stuck to the bottom of your shoe. It’s the things that make you hate yourself. It is something that makes you feel unworthy of anything good’ - says Jane Patton writing in Quora