Careful............................

     Preoccupation with self is always a major component of unhealthy guilt and recrimination.  It stirs our emotions, churning in self-destructive ways, closes us in upon the mighty citadel of self, leads to depression and despair, and preempts the presence of a compassionate God.

-Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel

It's all about the culture..........

“He showed the words “chocolate cake” to a group of Americans and recorded their word associations. “Guilt” was the top response. If that strikes you as unexceptional, consider the response of French eaters to the same prompt: “celebration.” 
-Michael Pollan, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto

We nourished your extremism............

An interesting take on the "endless capacity for masochism and self-loathing" that some tribes revel in can be found here.

On guilt...................................

Guilt serves no purpose.  The past is just that:  passed!  Gone.  Slipped away.  Not to be repeated.  If you need to make restitution, then do it.  If you messed up, apologize.  If you are forgiven for your mistake, give thanks and move on.  If you are not forgiven, move on anyway.  Forgive yourself, learn from the experience, and act differently next time.  At that point, it's over.  Don't bother with guilt.
-Larry Winget

Didn't know there was one......................

via mischa richter and the New Yorker