“I think shame is the most profound of all emotions; I think the world is ruled by shame.”

“Little girls think it's necessary to put all their business on MySpace and Facebook, and I think it's a shame...I'm all about mystery.”

“You are putting yourself in serious danger...'I think that I preferred to put myself in serious danger rather than confront my shame. My shame at not having become someone, the shame of not having made my parents proud after all the sacrifices they had made for me. The shame of having become a mediocre nihilist.”

“It wasn't the practices, I don't think, it was the feeling that the great, deadly, pointing forefinger of society was pointing at me--and the great voice of millions chanting, 'Shame. Shame. Shame.' It's society's way of dealing with someone different.”

“I sometimes think that shame, mere awkward, senseless shame, does as much towards preventing good acts and straightforward happiness as any of our vices can do.”

“Craziness was considered funny, like all other things that were in reality frightening and profoundly shameful.”