Guilt as a concept.

Guilt is an interesting concept- it's a learned social medium for controlling on an ongoing basis, from within, by manipulating fear responses.

Ie- if you do an act, say steal an apple, you may feel guilt- not because someone yells at you, and if you're not caught and don't disclose the act to anyone, there are no social consequences. The guilt feeling comes from within- the fear of retribution, or knowledge of having violated some social expectation or rule.

Its a nifty tool for institutions like religions, or governments, as it allows them to have a way to control larger numbers of people, on a continuous basis, without having to take as much overt action. Which in the apple instance, not such a bad thing really- you shouldn't steal because you are reducing the shopkeepers chance of making a livelihood. However, if you were broke and starving it should be an understandable circumstance, but in which case asking the shopkeeper nicely for a free apple might be a less offensive approach to the situation.

The Catholic church is a famous example with it's "if you do (x) you will be sent to hell to burn for the rest of eternity", where x= masturbating, thinking impure thoughts, not loving thy family, not going to church, scratching your arse on the bus or whatever else you wish to interpret the texts as being.

From the beginning of life it's ingrained "Santa knows who has been good or bad".

What is fucked up though, is the more common uses. The ways which people more subtley undermine and attack each other and themselves.

The everyday to ourselves- a wistful glance at a potato wedge and sour cream, accompanied with the "oh but you're too fat already, and you had a bowl of pasta for lunch..."

The bastard imposing guilt on another- " I cheated on you because you dont do (x) for me in bed"

The psychologically unbalanced, and overt- "if you dont call me later I'll cut my wrists"

Some people are immune to it. "Bugger off- I'm hungry and I want an apple."; "I'm horny and he's there, I dont care if he's your ex- I'm going to shag him".

Others are entirely inconsistent "I cheated on you because you dont do (x) for me in bed... but please call me later... if you don't I'll cut my wrists".

Thousands of examples, but why do we do it? Why are people so readily hurting each other?

My guilt today is partly for unintentionally hurting someone where I had intended to defend and support them. The intent was the opposite, but create harm I did.