One way the community responds to a courageous act is by seeking to shame the courageous one. Instead of rewarding you for caring enough to try, they work to silence you by creating shame. Shame is the soul killer, the enemy of those who would have courage. Shame is the emotion that is handed to you when you are called out for what you've done or what you've said. The easiest way to avoid shame (which is something that every single breathing human wants to do) is to lie low. If you don't speak up and don't act out, it's unlikely that you'll be singled out to be shamed. But lying low is now a recipe for ending up far outside your safety zone. The industrial economy sold you on the bargain that avoiding attention meant avoiding shame and that obedience led to stability. While you can still avoid shame by hiding, you won't find happiness or even stability that way.

— The Icarus Deception How High Will You Fly by Seth Godin (Page 110)