[matt4077]

The mere existence of the emotion of „shame“ shows that this mechanism is old, probably older than Homo sapiens.

It’s simply a way to get people to behave in a society, without invoking the heavier tools such as the law.

[int_19h]

Conversely, that the mechanism is so old indicates that it evolved to work in groups of the size humans (or their ape ancestors even) formed back when it first appeared - i.e. dozens, not millions. It's not a given that the way we scale it is optimal, or even good.

[api]

That's sort of what bothers me. This stuff evolved to work in small tribes, not global societies. When you don't actually know the person the behavior is very different.