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What is the difference between guilt and shame?

10/30/2012

Guilt and shame are very interesting emotions – often confused for one another, they still appear as two distinct experiences. What distinguishes guilt from shame, and why is this discrepancy so important?

Despite their resemblance, I propose that guilt and shame are two related processes that have entirely different impacts on a person’s psyche. In a nutshell, guilt is external, whereas shame is internal; guilt comes from others, and shame comes from within; guilt is a means of control, and shame is a means of redemption. Let’s review the two emotions independently, and then investigate how they’re related.

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Reflections on the psychological tolls of free speech

10/21/2012

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Now that the whole film controversy depicting the Prophet (salAllah alaihi wa salam) has settled down a little, it may be a good time for us - as a society – to examine what we’re left with from this entire fiasco. Regrettably, the only thing I see left standing is a vehement opposition to regulating free speech in any shape or form; missing are any and all discussions encouraging communal attentiveness and societal coexistence. Evidently, the free speech debate is very complex; many academics are addressing the topic as we speak, and I’m not here to add to that. Thus, the purpose of this article is not to simplify the issue, nor do I intend to take sides regarding the limitations of free speech (which I will come to later) but rather I ask myself: why is free speech even the topic of discussion? Why are we not instead - for the sake of harmony in an increasingly pluralistic society - attending to the destructive nature of hate speech?

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How do I reach my full potential?

10/15/2012

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Where are you going in life? No, I don’t mean your existential/philosophical framework; for Muslims, preparing for the after-life is usually a given. Instead, I’m actually referring to where you are in your life right now, and where do you ideally want to be in the future.

You see, if you can’t answer this question, then we may have a problem.

Carl Rogers, an incredible psychologist, observed a quite significant process in psychological development: every individual must always strive towards self-actualization. Self-actualization is indeed a beautiful term that denotes a sort of rising towards one’s full potential. In this sense, we could say that every human being was created with a specific set of qualities that need to be developed to self-actualize. Thus, what Carl Rogers observed, and what I’m promoting, is a fundamental introspection regarding oneself – in terms of qualities - that serves the purpose of self-actualization. Allow me to present my spin on this entire concept.

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What is the difference between guilt and shame?

Reflections on the psychological tolls of free speech

How do I reach my full potential?

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