Why do we feel guilt?

Feeling Guilty?

There is a great concept of psychology behind the feeling of guilt which is proposed by the founder of psychoanalysis and a great behaviorist, Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud 
 Before moving to the topic let's explore few more related things …

What is guilt?

Guilt is considered as an emotion,mostly found in the people who are suffering from depression. The most obvious reason to feel the guilt is that you actually did something wrong,for instance: harm to others,such causing some physical or psychological pain. You may feel guilty because you violated your own ethical or moral code.

Sigmund Freud 

He is one of the most famous names in psychology. Some of his ideas have been abandoned by the modern psychology still people accept some of his theories.
Freud was the first to discuss the unconscious mind and its role in human behavior.
Freud believed that there are three levels of consciousness:-

(i) unconscious mind: which exists outside of your awareness all the time.

(ii) preconscious mind: which includes all the information that you are not currently aware of but that can be recalled.

(iii) conscious mind: which is your current state of awareness.

Freud's Psychoanalytic Theory of personality:-

According to Freud's psychoanalytic theory of personality, there are three parts of personality.
These are the following:-
•Id
•Ego
•Superego

Id:-

It is the first to develop. It is the biological component of personality which includes your instincts. The id operates the unconscious mind.
It operates according to the pleasure principle.
Pleasure principle is the idea that all your needs should be met immediately.
It only care about your desires, hence called selfish.

Ego:-

It is the second to develop. It develops after the id. It operates in your preconscious mind and conscious mind. It is the part of personality which makes decision.
It operates according to the reality principle.
Reality principle is the idea that the desires of the Id must be satisfied in a method that is both socially appropriate and realistic.

Superego:-

It is the last to develop. It exists in all the three level of consciousness. It is always concerned of what is socially acceptable.
 It pushes you to obtain ego ideal i.e your view of what is right.
 It also represents your conscience i.e your view of what is considered to be wrong.

Psychology of guilt:-

A desire comes to your mind which is the result of Id. Then Ego operates and we take actions.
Things would be so simple if it stops here but its not that simple,
Later on SuperEgo operates and if the action is found wrong. Your Conscience forces you to feel that you have did something wrong. Hence we start to feel guilty.
It is the SuperEgo behind this.

Guilt is such a wasted emotion because what has been done can not be changed. If you have actually did something wrong apologize simply or talk to someone who is close to your heart. It will help you feel free.
Bury the past and focus on future, there comes a saying:
The past can not be changed,
But the future is yet in power. 

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