Isabelle's view: Humiliation

In June, Macron called for Russia not to be «humiliated», a phrase understood as a call not to humiliate Putin. A flurry of offended and sarcastic reactions flooded the web at the time. The roots of such vindictiveness lie in the concept of humiliation.

By «humiliation,» we mean, first and foremost, a feeling—the stinging sensation of wounded pride. But «humiliation» also refers to a situation experienced individually or collectively that can lead to this sense of indelible dishonor. What are its specific characteristics?

Humiliation, as a situation, features an unfortunate protagonist whose weakness, vice, or mistake—in short, anything for which he feels shame and seeks to keep secret—is revealed against his will. But the crux of the matter lies in the public nature of this exposure. For the feeling