Psychology

 Guilt is aversive and—like shame, embarrassment, or pride—has been described as a self-conscious emotion, involving reflection on oneself. People may feel guilt for a variety of reasons, including acts they have committed (or think that they committed), a failure to do something they should have done, or thoughts that they think are morally wrong. Contents What Is Guilt? Coping With Guilt What Is Guilt? Pixel-Shot/shutterstock When one causes harm to another, guilt is a natural emotional response. Guilt is self-focused but also highly socially relevant: It’s thought to serve important interpersonal functions by, for example, encouraging the repair of valuable relationships and discouraging acts that could damage them. But in excess, guilt may needlessly burden those who experience it. Can guilt be helpful? Given how uncomfortable guilt can feel, it can provide a strong motivation to apologize, correct or make up for a wrong, and behave responsibly. Since doing so helps preserve so...

  Shyness   Reviewed by Psychology Today Staff Shyness is a sense of awkwardness or apprehension that some people consistently feel when approaching or being approached by others. Shyness is a response to  fear , and research suggests that although there is a neurobiology of shyness—the behavioral repertoire is orchestrated by a specific circuit of neurons in the brain—it is also strongly influenced by  parenting  practices and life experiences. Contents What Causes Shyness? How to Overcome Shyness What Causes Shyness? Shyness emerges from a few key characteristics: self-consciousness, negative self-preoccupation, low  self-esteem  and  fear  of judgment and rejection. Shy people often make unrealistic social comparisons, pitting themselves against the most vibrant or  outgoing  individuals. Believing that others are constantly evaluating them poorly, shy people abandon new social opportunities—which, in turn, prevents them from imp...

 There is an award-winning French film called "Ridicule," directed by Patrice Leconte, about the aristocracy in 18th century Versaille. In the movie, a person's social status in the court of Versaille depends on his or her ability to entertain the company by cleverly ridiculing others while avoiding ridicule. A viewer may, at first, think that all these aristocrats are garden-variety sadists. While they don't torture anyone, they take pleasure in causing pain, at least so long as the words used to inflict it are sufficiently witty. The question that interests me here is: Are the rest of us any different? Consider a notorious app called "Figure One," which some have called "Instagram for doctors." It allows physicians to upload photos of unusual or striking cancers, wounds, cuts, and so on. The official purpose of the app is to allow doctors to crowdsource. However, it appears that what medical professionals actually use the app for is to ridicule p...

 Understanding Bereavement After a Loss How grieving the loss of a loved one affects your ability to cope By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Updated on September 01, 2024  Medically reviewed by Daniel B. Block, MD  Fact checked by Aaron Johnson Depressed Asian woman sitting on sofa holding a cushion Kilito Chan / Getty Images Table of Contents Symptoms Diagnosis Causes Types Treatment Coping Takeaways The loss of a loved one is one of the most painful experiences we'll have in life. Bereavement refers to the state of having experienced the loss of a loved one. It most often refers to the time after a loss when emotions are at their most profound. This time is marked by intense grief and tremendous sorrow. The term is sometimes used synonymously with grief and mourning. How people experience this time of grief can vary from one person to the next. While bereavement is usually associated with death, it can also occur after other significant losses. The end of an important relationship ...