“I felt guilty — I'm a terrible person.”
Confusables Entry 1163 / 1350 60-second read
Guilt vs. Shame
Feeling bad about something you did versus feeling bad about who you are.
The comparisoni
“I felt ashamed — "I'm a terrible person." Guilt would be: "I did a terrible thing."”
The ruleii
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GUILT = act. SHAME = self.
GUILT is a response to an action: "I did something bad." SHAME is a response to identity: "I am something bad." Brené Brown's landmark distinction: guilt motivates repair; shame often paralyses.
Memory aidiii
Remember it like this
Guilt: did bad. Shame: am bad.