The Death of Shame Is Tearing Us Apart

The column argues that the erosion of shame, amplified by “optimization culture,” allows NBA front offices to tank without social penalty, undermining communal norms. It traces tanking from the 1984 Houston Rockets scandal through the 1985 draft lottery and the 2013-15 “Process” of the Philadelphia 76ers, highlighting how the lack of shame-based guardrails fuels broader societal atomization.