I think you can understand something without embracing it or condoning it. I did a few bad things, it’s understandable that kids with that age and upbringing will, as long as you own what you did, put right what you can and atone for the rest, there’s no need to hate yourself.
Take it from an old man, at a certain point you will grow beyond having to feel “embarassed” by your former self, because your ego won’t be tied to it.
“Im torn on this, on one hand I know I have an untreated open wound on my leg, on the other hand here’s a 6 year old kid in a “doctor is in” t shirt who wants to smear whipped cream on it as a treatment”.
Probably not that much different tbh.
I think you can understand something without embracing it or condoning it. I did a few bad things, it’s understandable that kids with that age and upbringing will, as long as you own what you did, put right what you can and atone for the rest, there’s no need to hate yourself.