Shame and Guilt, the difference
Guilt is painful awareness that you caused harm or broke a rule. Shame is the shrinking feeling that your whole self is flawed.
Each in a line
Shame
Shame is the feeling that something is wrong with you, not just your actions. The shoulders curl in, the head drops, the impulse is to hide. Guilt says I did a bad thing; shame says I am one. It motivates concealment.
Self-conscious family
Guilt
Guilt is painful awareness that you caused harm or violated something that matters. The discomfort is the message: this needs to be put right. Guilt is about behaviour; shame is about identity. It motivates repair, apology, and change.
Self-conscious family
Pleasantness and energy
Where each lives in the body
Shame
Face
Strong heat or tension
Head
Pressure, fullness, mental load
Chest
Hollow, sunken
Stomach
A sinking pull or knot
Shoulders
Slumped, dropped
Guilt
Head
Pressure, fullness, mental load
Chest
Tightness or warmth
Stomach
A sinking pull or knot
How long they last
Duration has not been measured for these words.
Read the full entries