On Friday the 10th of February we explore the emotions of guilt and shame. When a male adult grizzly bear comes across a bear-cub, it’s likely that he will eat it and won’t feel shame or guilt. What exactly are the emotions of shame and guilt? What are they for? Do they have a social adaptive function? Can they be maladaptive? Are they in anyway socially constructed? Do they protect relationships in society? Maintain the status quo? Do they make people vulnerable? Indeed, how effectively can people be manipulated to feel a certain way through these emotions? Emotions for good? Or for evil?

Clearly, both guilt and shame are complex: playing a role in learning and balancing social relationships while being at the core of debilitating feelings on inferiority. Explore this interesting pair of emotions through art and science with our two speakers: ask what can guilt and shame tell us about self-governance in society and humiliation; and question how revealing insecurities and weaknesses can be both a source of empowerment and deep manipulation only to often leads to self-doubt and difficult mental states such as anxiety and depression.

Our speakers for the evening include fellow Arctic Circle resident Spike Dennis (multi-disciplinary textile artist, Arctic Circle 2016) who creates embroidered masterpieces exploring ledgends and folklore including creatures such as Baba Yaga, the Wildman and the Unicorn. Like much folklore, his work is allegorical, providing opporitunities to contemplate the complexities and darkness of human experience. Luka Katic (experimental psychology, Oxford University) will discuss his research into the role of guilt and shame in human interaction and in societies across the world - thus unpacking how they relate to other emotions.

DISCOVER, DISCUSS, LISTEN AND LEARN!

ALL WELCOME! ALL FREE!