Guilt Meme: Mastery Thru Accomplishment
May 16, 2008Guilt Meme
How do you define Guilt?
Picking on myself or others, judgement, persecution, lack of humility combined with self hate
What do you think of Guilt?
I think its a tool that my childhood family used to control me and if there’s one thing that will cause a burst of rage in me out of no where its trying to use the guilt card on me.
Does Guilt have healthy applications?
No…but there is such a thing as helping a child to put themselves in another’s shoes and cultivating remorse and compassion…sometimes people name that guilt, but done in a healthy way, a child will grow up feeling compassion and if they are thoughtless feel remorse about it, but have no loss of self esteem or judgement nor feel humiliated by anything. The child-grown adult will only see it as a lesson in paying attention and in caring for those s/he loves.
Do you use Guilt as a method of self-censoring?
Sometimes. I did learn to motivate myself with it. Its a hurtful form of self motivation. There are times when I’m determined and desperate enough for an outcome with a goal that I”ll use the tool that’s handy to motivate myself. If it takes guilt, then I’ll use it.
Do you use Guilt to censor others?
I sure hope not. If I ever do, I hope the person or someone else calls me on it. That really feels terrible and I don’t want to do that to anyone.
Do you allow others to use Guilt to censor you?
LOL! Not very often…and when they do, its because the greater good is served by my silence…but there will be a deep simmering anger about it and they will not get away with it behind the scenes just between us.
Any other thoughts about Guilt?
Just that it makes my gut churn….and I had to wonder why that is still…I’ve conquered so much of this issue. But I felt resistant when I found this meme on Rosa’s blog…so I wanted to contemplate why. I still don’t have an answer, but I thought that answering the questions would determine that. I think its just old feelings…lots of old feelings and I don’t want to revisit them…but sometimes facing them down is a good way to shut ‘em up. So I did. I feel better now.
How did you feel while doing this Meme?
At first I felt resistant, now I feel strong.
Note on what prompted this Meme:
It was on Rosa’s blog
