In a psychological context, guilt is considered the more proactive emotional response to an occurrence or action taken, as opposed to shame. Guilt is tied to empathy, pushing a person to look beyond themselves and consider how their behavior may impact others. Shame centers on the individual and how they feel about behaving; anger is the more likely emotional companion to shame.
Sigmund Freud, a seminal figure in the psychological world in the early 20th century and beyond, argued that guilt and shame were strongly attached to anxiety. He claimed that guilt was a form of anxiety, while shame was a result of anxiety.
Freud understood the human psyche as an entity comprised of three components:
1. The Id, or the instinctual elements of the human psyche, plus inherited and biological traits. It is unconscious and manages our basic urges.
- 2. The Ego, or the part of the psyche that has developed to manage relations between the Id (which tends to be more selfish and idealistic) and the realities of day-to-day life.
- 3. The Superego, or the controlling force of the Id and its desires. It has two parts, the ideal self and the conscience, and metes out both punishments and rewards (e.g., "I was good, I did the right thing," or "I made a mistake, I am not living up to my own standards.").
Altogether, the Id, Ego, and Superego (according to Freud) manage the day-to-day functioning of a human being, trying to strike a balance between desire, societal expectations, and perceived standards of goodness.
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Guilt can be real or imagined. But in either case, it stems from human consideration. Whether a person considers committing an act and then feels guilt for it; commits an act and then feels guilt for enacting it, or commits an act and then perceives other's responses as negative (resulting in guilt); the person in question has engaged intellectually and emotionally with the act being considered. Typically, guilt occurs after the thought or perception of doing something wrong.
Some human beings are more or less likely to feel guilt. Those who live with anxiety disorders, for example, are more likely to experience guilt regularly. However, people who live with sociopathy or psychopathy are much less likely; these individuals do not dwell on the impacts of their actions, instead of relocating blame or responsibility onto other people.
Guilt Through Conditioning and Motivation
People are taught guilt as a conditioned emotion from childhood. In response to making mistakes or engaging in behavior that adults deem "bad," children learn to use guilt as a means of assessing themselves and their actions. The desire to avoid guilt, or being told to feel guilty, can play a significant role in how children function in day-to-day life. This conditioning can result in the development of triggers that trouble people well into adulthood. Efforts to avoid experiencing guilt or being a "bad" person can drive grown individuals to develop avoidance or commitment dodging patterns that prevent them from meeting their own needs or having happy, fulfilling lives.
One of the most common uses of guilt is motivation; the desire to be the best or most moral version of oneself becomes a driving force. This motivation can be to either receive positive feedback or to avoid negative feedback. In both scenarios, an individual strives to be perceived as "good" by others, making self-valuation and self-worth practically impossible.
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