I feel like it is more of a backpack that is really hard to take off.

But based on the physiology of it, probably yes.

Sure, and if you’re Italian it’s THE emotion.

Guilt is a very basic emotion. Even dogs have it.

Morally, without a doubt, guilt is an emotion.

Legally, guilt is the opposite of innocent. Either sure to elicit an emotional response.

Guilt is the opposite of innocence. Guilty is the opposite of innocent.

We are all experts on emotions, right? But how do you define an emotion? I did a Web search and found this site defining emotions as having three components: subjective, physiological and behavioral. Guilt would seem to fit. The site had a link to another page listing the basic emotions as happiness, sadness, surprise, fear, anger, and disgust. I think it is probably true that any animal that can feel one of these can feel the others. A newborn infant can feel all of them. I don’t think that dogs feel guilt. They are just really expert at being able to read us. If guilt is an emotion it is of a higher order, requiring the concept of responsibility.

No. Guilt is a form anxiety, which is a neurosis. If it can be traced to a true emotion, the emotion would be fear.

Yes.

I think it is an emotion. It is something we feel.

@josie if feeling guilty is a form of anxiety or ‘neurosis’ is shame as well?

(neurosis is defined as a mild form of mental illness, so what you are saying is feelings of guilt and shame may be abnormal signs, which, when missing in an individual are actually signs of a more severe form of mental illness, so I think you might be on the wrong track there.)

@cazzie
Yes. Because both are contextual.

@josie what would you describe as a ‘noncontextual’ emotion?

@cazzie
If I answer your question, it will imply that guilt is an emotion. And I already gave my opinion that it is not.

@josie I’m trying to get some logic from your answers and I’m not really getting it.

Also, resentment can be mistaken for simple guilt, but I think resentment is the ‘contextual’ result of the feeling of guilt. Shame and guilt can be components of mental disorders when healthy responses aren’t developed. Their absence is shown to also be components of mental disorders.