Guilt (emotion)

For other uses, see Guilt (disambiguation) and Guilty (disambiguation).
"Guilty conscience" redirects here. For other uses, see Guilty Conscience (disambiguation).

Guilt is a moral emotion that occurs when a person believes or realizes—accurately or not—that they have compromised their own standards of conduct or have violated universal moral standards and bear significant responsibility for that violation. Feeling guilty is unpleasant for people while they experience it, but it can prompt positive, pro-social efforts to restore relationships and make amends.

When understood as a collection of basic emotions, guilt is composed of self-directed anger, sadness for the victim, anxiety, and fear (e.g., of damaging or losing relationships with individuals and society). Guilt is closely related to the concepts of remorse, regret, and shame.

Guilt is an important factor in perpetuating obsessive–compulsive disorder symptoms.

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