Saturday, March 20, 2010

Resolving guilt

Kierkegaard realized Guilt and Anxiety are opposites and there are many different forms of guilt and anxiety (anticipated guilt, anticipated anxiety, action-based guilt, learned anxiety). For those actions you are responsible for, guilt can frequently be resolved by provoking the associated opposite anxiety.

For example, if you cheated on your wife, guilt can only be resolved by going through the anxiety of admitting it to her.

Unless resolved in a reasonable time, guilt may create permanent karmic limitations.

1 comment:

  1. Facing one's own mortality resolves most anxiety. Taking responsibility for one's actions resolves guilt.

    Anticipated anxiety and anticipated guilt are valid emotions to steer you away from actions that one might regret.

    Kierkegaard did not quite go far enough in admission of his own guilt and didn't take enough action to overcome anxiety. The rest of his writings were anticipated anxiety/guilt that reminded him of his actual guilt/anxiety.

    Once guilt is real, the only way to overcome it and resolve it is to admit it and take action. This provokes anxiety of course so is difficult.

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