January 18, 2006: Guilt and Political Motivation
I once had a professor of the Hebrew Bible who insisted that guilt is an underrated motivation in life. I have to agree. Guilt in its ordinary sense, at any rate, is a healthy expression of the prior inculcation of a sense of moral responsibility for others' well-being. No doubt there are also quite unhealthy expressions of an excessive inculcation of such responsibility that can lead to hopelessness or emotional paralysis in the face of social injustice. But given the extraordinary degree to which contemporary capitalism encourages a "guilt-free" attitude toward life, I'd prefer consciously to face up to, and work though, the psychic turmoil associated with guilt.
