Justice becomes suspicious when humiliation becomes part of the entertainment.

Once shaming becomes a spectacle, the purpose has drifted. Accountability aims at repair and prevention; humiliation aims at the pleasure of the audience, and the two can look similar while pointing in opposite directions. The tell is when the process continues past any useful outcome, or when someone’s degradation becomes the content rather than the byproduct.

When you feel the pull to join in on someone being publicly taken apart, ask what would be different tomorrow if it stopped now. If nothing would be lost, the remainder is entertainment. Step out of it, even if that means being quiet while others continue.