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In this paper the relationship between shame and self-knowledge is examined. Ideas of Freud, Klein and Bion about the desire for knowledge are used to interpret the myth of Adam and Eve's fall form grace. From this it is shown that shame can ensue from the confrontation with the fact that one cannot impose oneself on reality. This observation finds support in the writings of Levinas and Sartre on shame. A clinical vignette illustrates how this type of shame can be seen as a helpful emotion that reveals an essential aspect of oneself.
Key words: Adam and Eve, Klein, Sartre, self-knowledge, shame