Guilt

[Raz]

Where does the basic feeling of guilt come from? You steal something from someone you don't like, yet the guilt still haunts you. Is it the fear of getting caught and the humiliation of it all from the people you respect and thus want respect back from? Is it the fact that you did to a person what you wouldn't want done to yourself, despite the lack of liking them as a person?

This arises further questions, like if we go out of our way to do something for someone, are we really doing it for them or are we doing it because we get satisfaction out of doing something for someone. Is the satisfaction of that what draws people to help others. I think, truly selfless would be whereby saving someone, you destroy yourself. Or would selfless be to go against what you get satisfaction from? For example someone designated a bad person may get satisfaction from stabbing someone, now if they go against their urges and help someone even though it makes them sick to their stomach would that be selfless?

[Mrs_Mia_Wallace]

In my opinion, the feeling of guilt doesn't come by instinct but it is more of a learned feeling that we have aquired during our education...an animal will not feel sorry doing something except a trained dog when he has done somtehing the human doesn't approve of - once again, a product of education. So guilt is merely the feeling hta tyou have done something wrong because you were told so from an early age, there's also the fear of getting caught and realizing how much you have hurt another person too probebly, depensing on the situation.

I agree to your point that there is no true selflessness since it always comforts the person who has done a good deed, in the end, you do just about everything for yourself, to make yourself feel better, sometimes it has to be seen in the long run, but it's the case 99% of the time...

Mia

[MidnightViper88]

I've had few times where I've had the feeling of guilt...When they do come around, they're usually something that I really regret happening that I've done by my own intentional fault, and/or something that's had an ever-changing effect on someone/something, especially on myself, that I wouldn't be able to go back and fix no matter what...

Even though I know what guilt is, because that feeling has come over me so few times, I still have trouble identifying it when they're small guilt-ridden feelings, or when someone else has guilt and I'm trying to figure them out...But even then, I still believe guilt is really a thing that we learn from ourselves (And sometimes others) and our past actions, more than anything else, only thoughtfully going over the consequences of those actions after they've happened...

[bored154]

Originally posted by Raz
Where does the basic feeling of guilt come from?

my gut... mainly my stomach...

[sgtfuzzbubble011]

I agree to your point that there is no true selflessness since it always comforts the person who has done a good deed, in the end, you do just about everything for yourself, to make yourself feel better

Sorry, but I disagree with this.

If I was given the choice between my own life and the life of a loved one, I wouldn't hesitate to give my own life up. It wouldn't be because I would feel better about myself after it was done (obviously, since I'd be dead), but more the fact that I couldn't live with myself if I let a loved one perish when I could have prevented it. True selflessness is when you do something to help someone else when you have nothing to gain in return.

[WomanOfHeart]

Altruism is defined as:

1. Unselfish concern for the welfare of others; selflessness.
2. (Zoology) Instinctive cooperative behavior that is detrimental to the individual but contributes to the survival of the species.

In other words, it is a sacrifice for the sake of the sacrifice. It is not done for the sake of glory, gain, or comfort in knowing you did something for someone else.

If you look, you'll find plenty of examples of altruism in the world.

[White Raven]

Guilt is derived from the morals you have in place within you. Who sets those morals, the somewhat unwritten code of your behaviour?
You do, and so do the situations you're in, and the people around you.
Guilt, like all other emotions, is just another chemical reaction.
What provokes it exactly? For me, just a sense of self loathing. Not sure, it just feels wrong.