Regardless of how warranted your self-righteous emotions might be, rationalizing why you took advantage of another, it doesn’t help to hang onto feelings of guilt either. Personal recrimination for abusing someone out of egocentric self-interest manages only to degrade your self-image, prompting you to feel that given such misdeeds in your history, you’re not good enough. And maybe can never be good enough.

Obviously, that adversely biased stance doesn’t really serve your welfare, nor does it contribute to anyone else’s.

Possessed with enduring feelings of guilt actually suggests just the opposite of seeing yourself as totally blameless. Plus, consider that having violated your ideals, your very guilt is how, subconsciously, you’re taking responsibility for your errant behavior.

If you’re to forgive........

© Psychology Today