Dear blue:

You are welcome. You mentioned guilt and shame in your post today. These two are powerful emotions/ states of mind. I know them only too well. Shame in a small amount is supposed to steer us away from wrong behavior and toward right behavior. Too much shame steers us away from life itself, as we withdraw from people and situations that would make our lives better, and we suffer unnecessarily. Guilt is supposed to steer us toward admitting our wrongdoing and correcting it as best possible. Too much guilt causes us useless, unnecessary suffering: we suffer and nothing good comes of our suffering, not for ourselves and not for others.

Maybe it will help you to share more about your experience with shame and guilt, on the topic of your thread, or otherwise. If you choose to share more, I will be nothing but kind to you. But please do not feel any obligation to share anything at all beyond what you already shared. I want you to be comfortable here.

You wrote an interesting sentence that I would like to read more about (but you are welcome to not elaborate on it): “I am quite conservative, and I approve of those who dare to live, but when it (is) my turn, I am so weak”.

anita