Guilt can be a Cause or an Effect

The reason it can be hard to identify guilt is that it can be a cause or an effect. 

You can feel guilty because of something that happened to you, or that you did to other people.

We tend to want the world to be linear – to be logical and consistent and rational – and it just isn’t. More so when you look at the world through emotions.

An emotion can be because of something, or can be the effect of something and this simple realisation can help explain why when someone asks you ‘How are you?” it is not always easy to answer. You’re trying to pull apart a million strings to be able to give a linear answer, and in the end you most likely will conclude with “I’m fine”.

Take your time to unwind the strong. Answer the question as messily as the answer is in your head. It helps.