“He felt guilt for being short.”
Usage Entry 1416 / 1605 60-second read
Shame vs. Guilt
Bad about who you are versus bad about what you did.
The comparisoni
“He felt shame for being short — SHAME is about identity (who I am). GUILT is about action (what I did).”
The ruleii
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SHAME = self. GUILT = act.
SHAME centres on the self ("I am bad"). GUILT centres on the action ("I did something bad"). Psychologists treat them differently: guilt prompts repair; shame prompts hiding. Both fall under self-conscious emotions.
Memory aidiii
Remember it like this
Shame is who. Guilt is what.