--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What is guilt? People feel guilty when…" description: "\"“What is guilt? People feel guilty when they think they have acted immorally or have hurt someone and worry that they may lose that person's favor. Gui..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f91/avi-tuschman-157975_depression_what-is-guilt-people-feel-guilty-when-th_1512398.jpg" --- # What is guilt? People feel guilty when they think they… ![“What is guilt? People feel guilty when they think they have acted immorally or have hurt someone and worry that they may lose that person's favor. Guilt motivates a child to behave better toward a parent for fear of losing the parent's love. Like fear, guilt also has a maladaptive sibling, whose…” quote by Avi Tuschman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f91/avi-tuschman-157975_depression_what-is-guilt-people-feel-guilty-when-th_1512398.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f91/avi-tuschman-157975_depression_what-is-guilt-people-feel-guilty-when-th_1512398.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f91/avi-tuschman-157975_depression_what-is-guilt-people-feel-guilty-when-th_1512398.jpg) > ““What is guilt? People feel guilty when they think they have acted immorally or have hurt someone and worry that they may lose that person's favor. Guilt motivates a child to behave better toward a parent for fear of losing the parent's love. Like fear, guilt also has a maladaptive sibling, whose name is depression. Depression occurs when a person attributes guilt to him or herself and perceives it as a permanent condition, as opposed to being situational and absolvable.”” [Avi Tuschman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avi-tuschman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Guilt arises from perceived immoral acts, motivating better behavior, but can become depression when internalized as permanent. **In simple terms:** Guilt can drive improvement or turn into lasting depression. Key Takeaway Identify guilt, act, and reframe it. Themes guilt motivation depression Mood thoughtful concerned Type analysis psychology When to use this quote - parent-child interactions - therapy - self-reflection Key Concepts psychology emotional health parenting Questions to Reflect On - How does guilt affect your actions? - When does guilt become harmful? A Different Perspective Depression may require professional help beyond self‑analysis. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Depression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depression/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Feel Guilty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel-guilty/) [Guilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilt/) [Guilt Maladaptive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilt-maladaptive-5570703/) [Guilt Motivates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilt-motivates-5570705/) [Guilt People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilt-people-680323/) [Guilt Perceives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilt-perceives-5570704/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/) ## Related quotes > [The human capacity for guilt is such that people can always find ways to blame themselves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-human-capacity-for-guilt-is-such-that-people-can-always-find-ways/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [Psychopaths are actually, really, really, really rare in our culture, are people who don't... Or in society, in the world. They're people who don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-parisse/psychopaths-are-actually-really-really-really-rare-in-our-culture-are/) [Annie Parisse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-parisse/) > [Guilt is also a way for us to express to others that we are a person of good conscience. 'I feel really guilty about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/guilt-is-also-a-way-for-us-to-express-to-others-that-we-are-a-person/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [“Because if I accept that Elend bears no guilt for what his people did to mine, then I must admit to being a monster…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/because-if-i-accept-that-elend-bears-no-guilt-for-what-his-people-did/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [I am suspicious of guilt in myself and in other people; it is usually a way of not thinking, or of announcing one's own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/i-am-suspicious-of-guilt-in-myself-and-in-other-people-it-is-usually/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [Where does guilt and punishment lie, and are we not more expressive over remorse or guilt when other people see the badness in us?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-edgerton/where-does-guilt-and-punishment-lie-and-are-we-not-more-expressive/) [Joel Edgerton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-edgerton/) > [“Although they pretended to be angry, and because that finally destroyed their guilt, some people were each secretly happy to discover that their partner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/although-they-pretended-to-be-angry-and-because-that-finally/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [“I feel guilty about most things, though it's usually to do with actions that would impact on other people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-merritt/i-feel-guilty-about-most-things-though-it-s-usually-to-do-with/) [Stephanie Merritt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-merritt/) > [Kafka had the sense of guilt. I don't think I have because I don't believe in free will. Because what I have done has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/kafka-had-the-sense-of-guilt-i-don-t-think-i-have-because-i-don-t/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [Oppression is not limited to people of color, but if you feel guilty that's something you should confront.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-green/oppression-is-not-limited-to-people-of-color-but-if-you-feel-guilty/) [Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/) > [“And I began to believe that you could exchange your life, send it back for a different model, and I knew that wasn’t really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-lacey/and-i-began-to-believe-that-you-could-exchange-your-life-send-it-back/) [Catherine Lacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-lacey/) > [Induction makes you feel guilty for getting something out of nothing, and it is artificial, but it is one of the greatest ideas of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-wilf/induction-makes-you-feel-guilty-for-getting-something-out-of-nothing/) [Herbert Wilf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-wilf/) > [Generosity helps us make a concerted effort to keep the needs of others in the forefront of our thinking. Rich people should not feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-stanley/generosity-helps-us-make-a-concerted-effort-to-keep-the-needs-of/) [Andy Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-stanley/) > [“I remembered my father telling me when I was a little girl, "Guilt is bullshit. Don't ever let anyone make you feel guilty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaylie-jones/i-remembered-my-father-telling-me-when-i-was-a-little-girl-guilt-is/) [Kaylie Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaylie-jones/) > [“No. It would help if I were able to feel guilty.But the end of innocence is also the end of guilt”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/no-it-would-help-if-i-were-able-to-feel-guilty-but-the-end-of/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) ## More Depression quotes > [These joys were so trifling as to be as imperceptible as grains of gold among the sand, and in moments of depression she saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/these-joys-were-so-trifling-as-to-be-as-imperceptible-as-grains-of/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“As ofttimes as it rains on my little spot of earth, you'd think I'd grow accustomed to the gloom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/as-ofttimes-as-it-rains-on-my-little-spot-of-earth-you-d-think-i-d/) [Richelle E. 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But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nenia-campbell/once-upon-a-time-there-was-a-na-ve-and-innocent-girl-who-thought-she/) [Nenia Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nenia-campbell/) > [“Why in depression" "If we are human, why not have the right to smile, Why in depression, young, and beautiful as earth, Why in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yanilsa-pena/why-in-depression-if-we-are-human-why-not-have-the-right-to-smile-why/) [Yanilsa pena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yanilsa-pena/) > [“Depression makes me stronger”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shayamalan/depression-makes-me-stronger/) [Shayamalan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shayamalan/) > [“Shorter believes that psychosomatic illnesses (such as leg paralysis at the turn of the twentieth century or multiple personality disorder at the turn of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-watters/shorter-believes-that-psychosomatic-illnesses-such-as-leg-paralysis/) [Ethan Watters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-watters/) > [Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/depression-is-merely-anger-without-enthusiasm/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [Repression will provoke rebellion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-williamson/repression-will-provoke-rebellion/) [Hugh Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-williamson/) > [I'm certainly not a perfect mother, but I'm trying to be what my mother wasn't for me. My mother's battled depression, so I understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-hamill/i-m-certainly-not-a-perfect-mother-but-i-m-trying-to-be-what-my/) [Dorothy Hamill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-hamill/) > [Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-buckham-kennedy/every-trial-endured-and-weathered-in-the-right-spirit-makes-a-soul/) [James Buckham Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-buckham-kennedy/) > [Scars by Papa Roach. <3](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophielianne/scars-by-papa-roach-3/) [Sophielianne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophielianne/) [Browse all 4,965 Depression quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depression/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What is guilt? 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