Guilt Spreads
Oddly enough, the feeling of guilt is a subtle force that is apparently contagious, just by coming into contact with someone who has performed a morally reprehensible act. This is indicated by a study carried out in the United States by a group of researchers, and published by the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.
This phenomenon is known in psychology by the name of “moral transfer” and consists in that people experience as their own a fault that is foreign, simply by establishing a link with people who have cheated, or committed an illicit act.
An experiment that reveals it
This psychological condition was established thanks to an experiment in which 54 university students were recruited. All were asked to take a seat and shortly thereafter, separately, some were informed that a student who had been accused of robbery had previously sat in their chair.
They were immediately given a test to determine how they felt about themselves at that precise moment. The questionnaire included questions on topics such as anger, sadness, and guilt.
Students who had previously been told that there was a thief in their chair showed a higher sense of guilt than the others.
To corroborate these results, a new group of 48 students was consulted. Half of them were introduced to a person who shook hands with them. A comment was later made stating that this person had been caught cheating on various tests.
Again a test was applied and all those who had shaken the hand of the alleged cheater, showed high feelings of guilt. As if they themselves were the transgressors.
The weight of guilt
Everything seems to indicate that human beings today are very prone to experiencing feelings of guilt. It is possible that this predisposition increases when we operate in the middle of formal institutions, such as work, school or university.
What is striking about the experiment is that it shows us how people come to feel guilty about something they have not done. This proves that guilt is a feeling that can be real or imaginary and that it depends more on a certain context than on the objective evaluation of our actions.
Guilt is one of the most destructive feelings we can experience. Not only does it cause discomfort with ourselves, but it also makes us vulnerable to manipulation and deteriorates the confidence we have in ourselves. Furthermore, it often paralyzes us and limits our growth.
If we place an excessive value on institutions, their power figures and the gaze of others, we will be more prone to experiencing feelings of guilt. As in the experiment, we can even take the fault of another as our own, simply because that other represents something that the institution, the figure of power or the environment consider highly reprehensible.
Imaginary guilt is more frequent than you might suppose. Therefore, if you feel that you experience feelings of guilt with great ease, it is worth reflecting and determining if these originate from real experiences, or are only the product of an excessive reverence for the environment in which you operate.
Image courtesy of frischundsauber
