Contrition

Genuine, heartfelt remorse with desire to atone.

Family Self-conscious
Valence negative
Arousal low activation
Intensity Moderate

Genuine, heartfelt remorse with desire to atone. The body holds this signal first, often before the mind has named what is happening.

Where contrition lives in the body

Head
Pressure, fullness, mental load
Moderate
Chest
Tightness or warmth
Moderate
Stomach
A gentle stir
Quiet
Face
Slight warmth
Quiet

Related emotions

RemorseNegative familyGuiltSelf-conscious familyRegretSadness family
A note on this entry: The data on this page (definition, body sensations, valence, arousal, related emotions) reflects a structured reference for contrition. A full long-form entry is being added gradually. If you have research, a translation, or a body-mapping correction to suggest, please get in touch.