Lee, you could have insisted he wear a life vest but your example does bring up something important. Guilt comes in varying degrees and categories. In this example you escaped guilt by disallowing the action and creating guilt by the same. The guilt of allowing a tragedy would ultimately had been the deeper/heavier burden and so therefore you chose the guilt that would be the least encumbering. In this sense we choose guilt. In another sense guilt can be created by action. The murderer on death row, IF he feels guilty (some do not), created the guilt by direct action. The guilt could have been avoided with some forethought concerning choice of action. On the other hand the driver that accidentally killed someone crossing the street may feel guilt but had not control over the situation, no choice of action. Some rapists believe they are not guilty because God gave them an overpowering sex drive and thereby transfer the guilt. We can avoid guilt by assuming the responsibility of evaluation, in situations that allow it, such as I know that if I don't lend my neighbor $500 he and his family will wind up out on the street, however maybe my neighbor is trying to borrow money by laying a "guilt trip" on me. Hmmm! Guilt may be a benefit to learning but can evolve into a bad thing if it goes beyond that and festers into a destructive/debilitating emotion. The realization that guilt does not change the action/result sometimes can serve as the relief. Should I feel guilty because I didn't give the panhandler anything when I had $300 in my pocket? Or should I realize that if I gave every panhandler money, it wouldn't change their life and I would not only no longer have $300 in my pocket but run the risk of becoming a panhandler myself? OR, I didn't make the panhandlers choices in life, OR people know there are consequences to their actions, I didn't tell him to buy/sell cocaine. Ergo: no guilt. So we have different categories and degrees of guilt to investigate and understand. I don't think guilt as an emotion only stems from the violation of some moral code, deviation from any societal more or the recognition of failure in a circumstance. The alcoholic or dieter can feel guilt which is entirely contained within the personal ideal, sneaking the drink or food. There is the individual guilt and that of the group, the society, corporation or organization that fell short ie; the RC church's guilt for the actions of the priesthood. Again, guilt is not an altogether bad thing if we learn and grow from the emotion. Without guilt humanity may have stagnated, violence, slavery and genocide would be social norms, altruism, benevolence and congeniality would be lost. Guilt may be a necessary function of human existence.
On Aug 17, 9:22 am, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote: > Ummmm I can sorta see where you are going, but feelings of guilt, well > are they that easy to control? > > I just had a call from my 13 year old son who spent last night at his > cousins house (my brother well one of them), Dad can I go fishing he > asks. > > Who with and where I asked in return. > > He wants to go with his cuz to the local docks(I live in a part of SE > London, not from the Thames, and it's docklands) knowing he can't swim > I told him no as those docks are fucking deep and if he falls in and > drowns then I'll be crying.(my exact words) Now of course I feel > guilty for dening him his fishing, which has always been a major hobby > of mine and I'm sooo glad that at last he has taken it up himself, but > ahhhh how much guilt would I have felt if he did indeed fall in and > drown? > > On 13 Aug, 10:29, deripsni <[email protected]> wrote: > > > In my opinion, guilt should ONLY be felt is one has broken their own > > moral code. Mistakes in judgement should not be cause for guilt. > > Unintentionally hurting another should not be cause for guilt. Not > > going to church should not be cause for guilt. Breaking a law that one > > does not think is right should not be cause for guilt. > > > If one develops a moral code, thus defining what they should and > > should not do, and then proceeds to consciously do something that they > > realize is against this code, the feelings of guilt should kick in. > > They should not cause depression however, but should activate a strong > > and determined motivation to repair any damage that may have been > > done, and to reinforce the determination not to take this action ever > > again. > > > Once this is done, the guilt should go away. Guilt can be a heavy > > burden to carry, but carrying the guilt instilled by others is > > emotional suicide. Set high moral goals, try to achieve them, and work > > hard to enforce them if the code is broken. Other than that, be > > HAPPY! ;-} > > > On Aug 12, 10:20 pm, Matthijs <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Sometimes a human feels remorse guild or regret because of some > > > actions they took in life (including myself) In my line of work as a > > > psychiatrist I am confronted with these emotions of mankind on a every > > > day basis. One of all is the ability of humans to feel guild, for > > > there whole life, it always integers me how depressions walk hand in > > > hand with fear. I did some study in depressions and animals were > > > showing the same depression reactions in stressful hopeless situations > > > as humans as a way to survive. Nevertheless I was wondering what the > > > functions are of these feelings and emotions for a human being in your > > > visions. > > > > Take a guess, > > > Matthijs- Hide quoted text - > > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/minds-eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
