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Guilty
Pleasures versus the Pleasures of Guilt
By Kate Burch
Most of us succumb, at least occasionally, to the lure of a too-big
slice of flourless chocolate cake; or maybe for you it is marathon
watching of a TV series; playing video games for hours; perhaps smoking
an expensive cigar; or falling prey to the latest fad in shoes.
The kinds of things that we know aren’t really good for us, that we
don’t need, that waste time, or that others do not hold in high regard
can be very tempting nonetheless and, if not indulged to excess, these
yens are harmless.
An indulgence that is truly harmful is the self-righteousness resulting
from supporting and participating in some policies touted as advancing
“fairness” or compassion but which are actually destructive in the long
run. I am thinking of the people who believe that they are
morally superior because they support allowing unrestricted and
unlawful entry into our country; confiscatory taxation that cripples
our economy; regulations that make energy crushingly expensive and thus
harm the poor; and laws that handicap economies and destroy livelihoods
in the name of protecting an endangered species or “saving the
planet.” These people, encouraged by those currently
holding the reins of power, believe that our nation is morally culpable
for the sorry state of the “third world” nations; that somehow our
economic success over the years our country has existed has been
achieved on the backs of those who have not been successful. They
fail to recognize that the standard of living of the world in general
has been improved by the unbelievably powerful engine of growth and
prosperity that has been the United States of America. They wish
to atone for this spurious guilt by seeking to limit our wealth, our
influence, and our prospects.
I say “spurious” guilt because guilt requires not only that one feels
uncomfortable as a result of an action, but that the action be one that
is morally wrong. I believe that, often, what is perceived as
“guilt” is in reality a fear of being envied or resented for what we
possess or what we have achieved. One striking example is the
case of “survivor guilt,” in which a person who was present, but
unscathed, in a situation where others suffered death or injury suffers
emotionally afterwards on account of his good fortune. I know
people who still suffer from feelings of unworthiness and “guilt”
because the lottery system did not catch them during the conscriptions
for the Vietnam War. Clearly, these people did nothing wrong, and
one would think they would feel gratitude, yet they experience what
they identify as guilt.
One can make a good case that a feeling of “guilt” over one’s good
fortune in avoiding the draft or other misfortunes; one’s higher
standard of living or superior education; or even possession of greater
health or intelligence is in reality a fear of being thought less
worthy, or of being envied and resented, and the potential social
consequences of such imagined appraisals by others.
At a deeper psychological level, we can discriminate between
“guilt” and “shame.” Shame refers to a negative feeling based
upon who or what we are, rather than what we have done. Shame, in
my view, is pretty much always an unhelpful emotion, as we are all
children of God, equally endowed with human rights and capable of
living in faith and virtue. Guilt, on the other hand, requiring
that we have done something wrong, can serve as a powerful spur to
self-examination, repentance, atonement, and growth in goodness.
Unfortunately, the big actors in the business of government include
some people who are highly skilled in the techniques of manipulating
people by inciting envy, resentment, guilt, and shame. They
do this quite knowingly in order to advance their programs, and the
current regime has the assistance of media and academia in their grand
project of social engineering. The use of words like “social
justice,” “compassion,” and “fairness” earns an immediate endorsement
from many who do not really think through to the potential and likely
evil consequences of the policies so advertised. This group
includes many highly intelligent people, and many who have undeniably
good intentions. They often believe that what the liberal
intelligentsia thinks must be the last word, and if they align
themselves with that class, they will be well-regarded by others and
able to rest content in their own rosy self-appraisal.
The motivations of human beings are often quite complex and even
tangled. It seems to me that it is important to use our
analytical minds, informed by a careful reading of history, to decide
what leaders and what policies to support, rather than making
emotionally-fueled decisions. Oh, and a little humility helps,
too.
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