How can guilt affect a person?

            Guilt is a negative emotion that we often do not like to feel and push under the rug.  People can sometimes feel guilt when it should not be there and then sometimes feel guilt when it should be there.  When it should be there, it is important to think about why it is there and live out its purpose.  If you think about the purpose of the guilt and live out that purpose, that can lead to powerful change within you.  If you do not, that can lead to powerful shame because you will feel shackled to that mistake.  For example, if I steal something from a friend and find out, I will likely feel guilty.  That guilt is there to help me learn why I stole and to hopefully not do it again.  If I do not live out that purpose, I will likely do it again and feel shame for continuing to mess up friendships. 

            Guilt is a very uncomfortable feeling that none of us likely want to feel.  Due to this, some people respond to guilt by getting overly anxious and even isolating.  Some people take on the shame of the guilt and make themselves believe they can’t move forward from whatever mistake they made.  This anxiety associated with guilt can also cause someone to be less genuine out of fear of people knowing who they really are. 

It is important to be cautious of these negative consequences of guilt and admit if you are falling into that.  It is such a slippery slope between living out the purpose of the guilt versus feeling overwhelmed by the guilt.  Try to remember how guilt can be useful and how no one is perfect and free of mistakes.  Each mistake can be a moment of growth for self-confidence and help your friendship, relationship, career, etc., grow.  Without mistakes and guilt, you are likely either isolating yourself too much in fear of making mistakes or not aware of the mistakes you are making.  Try to be mindful of either and be open to growth by living out your guilt's purpose.