The Phenomenology and Dynamics of Wealth Shame: Between Moral Responsibility and Moral Masochism

In an age of striking inequality in wealth, a related phenomenon, wealth shame, has developed. A multidisciplinary exploration of such shame examines its intrapsychic, intersubjective, transgenerational, and sociopolitical roots in the U.S., as well as its multiple functions: as an ethical response to economic disparity (moral responsibility), as a manifestation of a pervasive shame pattern (moral masochism), and as a defense against pleasure, feelings of superiority, and the fear of being envied. Several clinical vignettes illustrate these themes and are followed by reflections on their clinical implications. The psychoanalytic community's conflicted relationship to social class, money, and wealth is also examined. This conflictedness may inform the analyst's countertransference to wealth shame and his or her ability to appreciate the psychic landscapes of class as they present in the consulting room.