If you put shame in a Petri dish, it needs three things to grow exponentially: secrecy, silence and judgment.

Source: "Listening to Shame." TED2012. Mar. 2012. Conference Presentation. Additional Information: This quote means that secrecy, silence, and judgement increase feelings of shame (guilt or dishonor). In other words, if you feel bad about yourself, you will feel worse if no one says anything about it and you notice yourself being silently judged by other people. The quote is from a 2012 TED Talk by Brené Brown, who researches vulnerability and shame. In this Talk, Brown goes on to say that while secrecy, silence, and judgement increase shame, empathy -- someone reaching out to you and saying, "I share your experience" --  is the antidote to shame. Thus, we should learn to admit to our perceived weaknesses and be more empathetic in our interactions. Watch the full TED Talk here: Brené Brown - Listening to Shame