A while ago we wrote about devolved emotions. If that is a strange phrase to you, you can reread that newsletter here. Basically, when we avoid what we are feeling, we experience negative side effects like hostility toward others, apathy, or hopelessness about life.
So, here is another example of a devolved emotion: Guilt. This is a pretty common one. It is a particularly stubborn feeling to talk yourself out of or to let go of. We assert this is because guilt is actually a defense against anger.
Instead of letting ourselves feel angry at a person or circumstance, we turn that around on ourselves and feel guilt. For example, rather than letting ourselves feel angry that someone might unjustly call us lazy when we are relaxing, we turn that around on ourselves and deprecate or diminish ourselves (feel guilty) when we are getting some needed rest.
The way to address guilt is to identify what you are angry about. It does not necessarily follow that what you are angry about is justified, but in order to move past feeling guilty and get clear about your true thoughts and feelings, it is helpful to be curious and ask yourself: What might I be angry about or who might I be angry with? If you give it a try, let us know how it goes.
To looking deeper,
The Workability Team
