We have all felt guilty about something at some point in our lives, and sometimes it is because we have done something to hurt someone else or maybe it is because we didn't do something to help another when we could have. But often, we feel guilt because it is a programmed response. If we choose to look after ourselves before another, we are made to feel guilty about that choice, but if we run ourselves into the ground helping others at the expense of ourselves, nobody offers an apology, or help when we really need it.

If we have been a victim of a crime, we are made to feel guilty about  putting ourselves at risk; the perpetrator is not made to feel guilty about committing the crime though. So why is it that guilt is forced upon us, when really, we haven't done anything wrong? Is it easier to blame the victim or is it because guilt is an emotion only some people feel?

Feeling guilt can help us rectify a wrong, it can help us reflect on why we feel it and whether or not is justified. If we are feeling guilty for doing something we know is wrong, we can learn from it. But if guilt is a learned response, maybe we still need to reflect on that and try to work through it, so we can move away from the shame it may have caused, and understand that we have not done anything wrong and perhaps someone else needs to shoulder that burden.