Guilt Is a Useless Emotion

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it's the name of a song on the new New Order album. But I don't want to talk about the song. I want to talk about guilt. Do you think it is a useless emotion?

― MarkH (MarkH), Monday, 21 February 2005 19:03 (twenty years ago)

No, it's not useless. It's use is that it tells you to consult your conscience.

Guilt is a wasted emotion.

― dave225 (Dave225), Monday, 21 February 2005 19:07 (twenty years ago)

There's a difference, I think, between guilt and regret. Guilt is when your conscience pains you after doing something you know was bad. Regret is when you feel like you missed an opportunity, etc. It's regret that's the useless emotion, since there is nothing to be done about it and nothing to be learned from it. Guilt is your inner voice of morality, and it's actually very useful.

― Fish fingers all in a line (kenan), Monday, 21 February 2005 19:12 (twenty years ago)

Not as wasted as jealousy. Guilt can be a motivator.

― Ian John50n (orion), Monday, 21 February 2005 19:13 (twenty years ago)

the idea of emotions having actual "usefulness" functions is, well, useless. forget accounting, learn some joie de vivre.

― hstencil (hstencil), Monday, 21 February 2005 19:17 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, yeah, the human brain is, evolutionarily speaking, a vestigal organ, heard it all before. It's also what makes us human, and I kinda like being human, so I'm going to continue listening to my emotions when I think it's useful to do so.

― Fish fingers all in a line (kenan), Monday, 21 February 2005 19:20 (twenty years ago)

that's my point, kenan! emotions are great!

― hstencil (hstencil), Monday, 21 February 2005 19:21 (twenty years ago)

But accounting matters, too, hstencil. It matters to how you're perceived, how you're thought of, how much you're loved, and how well you're remembered. Guilt is the voice in your head that says, "Wow, I was being a real asshole." And nobody likes an asshole. Assholes die lonely.

Of course, I guess a real asshole wouldn't ever feel guilty.

― Fish fingers all in a line (kenan), Monday, 21 February 2005 19:24 (twenty years ago)

accounting matters for, like, accounting. what i'm saying is the idea of wanting everything, esp. emotions, to have a usefulness is quite, uh, unuseful. it's an anxiety, a neurosis that i cannot understand.

― hstencil (hstencil), Monday, 21 February 2005 19:28 (twenty years ago)

"render unto caesar what is caeser's..."

― hstencil (hstencil), Monday, 21 February 2005 19:29 (twenty years ago)

I'm really not sure what you mean. Are you saying that emotions are a touch ephemeral or at any rate flighty and therefore not worth considering for practical purposes? That might lead to thinking of things a bit coldly, dontcha think? Emotions can have all kinds of "uses." The argument could easily be made that emotions determine the path of the stock market. Emotions can make everything better, or they can make everything bad, and not just for one person at a time.

― Fish fingers all in a line (kenan), Monday, 21 February 2005 19:34 (twenty years ago)

no, you're not really getting it. i'm not really articulating what i mean very well, either. no big deal.

― hstencil (hstencil), Monday, 21 February 2005 19:37 (twenty years ago)

TRY HARDER

― Fish fingers all in a line (kenan), Monday, 21 February 2005 19:38 (twenty years ago)

I really want to understand what you mean, if only because I don't.

― Fish fingers all in a line (kenan), Monday, 21 February 2005 19:38 (twenty years ago)

Are you saying just let your emotions be what they will be, and don't try to figure out which one it is you're feeling? (e.g. Am I frustrated or angry?)

― dave225 (Dave225), Monday, 21 February 2005 19:39 (twenty years ago)

Words don't mix well with emotions.

― Fish fingers all in a line (kenan), Monday, 21 February 2005 19:40 (twenty years ago)

Guilt is not useless, but usually, at least, unpleasant. It serves a very distinct and (often)important purpose. Getting carried away with guilt, especially having it turn situations into possible other scenarios, and having those scenarios become a reality in your head, makes guilt a neurosis.

― peepee (peepee), Monday, 21 February 2005 19:47 (twenty years ago)

all our emotions have an evolutionary basis, but it's misleading to consider the utility of guilt itself. reciprocal altruism is very useful, and guilt is a necessary part of that. it's like questioning the value of grief. it's not the grief that comes in handy, it's the love.

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Monday, 21 February 2005 20:06 (twenty years ago)

i do like the new new order album though.

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Monday, 21 February 2005 20:06 (twenty years ago)

so obviously file-sharing guilt is a useless emotion to me.

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Monday, 21 February 2005 20:10 (twenty years ago)

I am roffling at the thought of all the New Order goth-y fanboys all swooning at what a FUCKING DEEP statement that is.

― sugarpants (sugarpants), Monday, 21 February 2005 23:07 (twenty years ago)

Guilty pleasures. (In which I rant about Mr Kipling's exceedingly good cakes, or something.)

― Momus (Momus), Tuesday, 22 February 2005 10:23 (twenty years ago)

i feel guilty

― ilkley lido (gareth), Tuesday, 22 February 2005 10:46 (twenty years ago)

It's an odd idea that New Order would be off-the-money lyrically.

― paulhw (paulhw), Tuesday, 22 February 2005 14:33 (twenty years ago)

Guilt can be useful, I'm sure. Just don't go overboard.

― Sven Bastard (blueski), Tuesday, 22 February 2005 14:35 (twenty years ago)

Perhaps I am equating guilt with conscience here (how might they be separated?)

― Sven Bastard (blueski), Tuesday, 22 February 2005 14:36 (twenty years ago)

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