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Colonel Prashant Rawal

Guilt: A Sure Killer of Personal Growth

Updated: Aug 27


A man sitting in dark in desperation
  • Are you one of those people who constantly feel guilty about something? Do you worry about upsetting others or displeasing them in some way?

  • Do you remain guilt-complexed even if there is no real reason to feel guilty? You’re not alone in experiencing guilt — it’s not just you.


A Conditioned Emotion Guilt is a powerful emotion learned over time. Said differently, people are conditioned to feel guilty. Though guilt, mostly leaps out of that part of you still unhealed, arguably has some positivity to it too. Certain factors like culture, circle of relatives, or religious rearing of a person can leave him more vulnerable to guilt feelings. Such dads and moms who constantly make youngsters experience guilt or always keep back rewards can also seed a guilt complex within the kids forcing them to sense that nothing they do is ever good enough. Induced Gilt It’s natural for people with low self-esteem to be guilty conscious because they usually have a nagging notion that there is something wrong or lacking in them. This usually results in them apologizing and causing extreme discomfort or pain somewhere else. The resulting behaviour is a sure recipe for dysfunctional relationships. Explore It may be assumed correctly that many of us have spent limitless hours replaying repeatedly an agonizing guilt memory. Being guilty-conscious is bad because you’ve indulged in an act that goes against your values. It makes you feel small and inferior. Everybody feels guilty sometimes or the other. But some of us suffer more because we think we have more responsibility. Guilt should not persist. So it’s important to look for where your guilt is coming from and what kind of guilt you’re feeling. You don’t want to carry guilt around since it’s heavy on you prohibiting your growth. Handle it It’s easier to get rid of guilt feelings, by making recompense for something, working through the guilt, or simply letting it go, provided you can become aware of the source of your guilt feelings.

Always try to outrun your gilt Induced guilt is a bit more challenging to overcome, but in fact, much of this guilt complex begins to fade naturally as your self-esteem improves. However, you could assist it along with the aid of reminding yourself frequently that you have nothing to feel guilty about. Repeating encouraging comments like, “You stand sturdy and powerful,” or “You have done perfectly well”, being positive suggestions; helps alter your self-image subconsciously. This begins shifting your self-esteem to a higher level thereby minimizing the negative effects of guilt. Accept it Having minimum or no expectations from the people, environment, and society as a whole and cultivating a sense of acceptance makes you “fail-safe” against most types of gilts, whether natural or specific. It helps minimize your vulnerabilities giving you the strength to be proactive in dealing with the guilt since you don’t feel sorry about many things. Compassion is what is needed. Advice You may find self-advising or talking to someone you trust quite helpful in overcoming a guilt attack. It assists in a frank review of the source and supply of guilt feelings and kind of regulates them to your advantage. Such a review empowers you to address the root cause and eliminate it successfully once and for all. Afterthought When handling life situations, we should remember that guilt only complicates the past and anxiety doesn’t alter the future. If you continue facing difficulty managing guilt, it might be helpful to seek professional advice from a mental health professional about your concerns.


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