hiri
Moral shame
[ HEE-ree ]
Seeing it in life
Hiri restrains conduct through respect for oneself; ‘the world-protector’ together with ottappa.
In short
Inner shrinking back from evil out of self-respect.
The analysis
Hiri restrains conduct through respect for oneself — an inner shrinking back from wrongdoing rooted in self-respect rather than fear of consequence. Together with ottappa it's called 'the world-protector' pair. Hiri is one of the twenty-five beautiful cetasikas, universal to every wholesome citta.
Where it sits
Hiri's direct opposite is ahirika, shamelessness, present in every unwholesome citta; the presence or absence of the hiri-ottappa pair partly defines wholesome versus unwholesome consciousness.
The quiet, internal 'I wouldn't do that' that arises before an easy shortcut is taken, rooted in something closer to self-respect than fear of being caught, is hiri.
Commonly mistaken for
Shame in the painful, self-critical sense. Hiri is a wholesome, dignity-preserving restraint, not harsh self-judgment.
Social anxiety about others' opinions. Hiri arises from self-respect, independent of whether anyone else would notice.
Abhidhammattha Saṅgaha II; Hiri-Ottappa Sutta (AN 2.9).
Related terms