Lecture-discussion “Shame, guilt, responsibility. How to prevent self-recrimination from paralyzing useful activity"

In psychology, it is common to distinguish between “good” and “bad” (toxic) shame and guilt. If these feelings are relevant to our actions and/or inactions, then they themselves help regulate living together within the human community.

Other times we are dealing with toxic feelings of shame and guilt that are tied to who we are or are not. “There’s something wrong with me,” “I’m worthless, a loser, I’m not capable of anything”—such thoughts are markers of toxic shame.

We can encounter toxic guilt when we take responsibility for processes that exceed our capabilities. For example, many encountered it after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It must be said that the public discourse that stigmatizes Russian women on the basis of citizenship rather supports attitudes that can significantly block our activity, not to mention depressive experiences.