Section Headings [ Jealousy and Narcissism] [ Guilt and Pride] [ Love and Hate]

[ Vanity and Self-Pity] [ Envy] [ Anxiety]

The previous articles in the chapter The Nature of Emotion, beginning with Feelings, dealt with general theory about emotion and unconscious ideas. In this chapter, I turn to the characteristics of a few important emotions.

I list those characteristics of guilt and pride that I have discovered.

Guilt (= self-pity + self-hate)

Guilt prevents me from seeing life as good, as worthwhile in itself ; it neutralises aesthetic enjoyment of the world. Guilt focuses on my failures in life.

The self-pity mode knocks out all meaning in anything and my motivation collapses ; to survive this state, I become rigid and accept dogmatic rules. I become a perfectionist in my work. In this mode arises the need for psychological support, for a confessor or a confidante, and I embrace authoritarian methods of social control. Without support, life becomes unreal. I practise a different form of homeliness from jealousy ; I keep my house tidy.

The self-hate mode belittles me as a person, I am not worth anything. My motivation is retained but my self-image is pitiable. I have no value (either individually or socially). My faith in my own abilities becomes eroded. I idealise the life of simpler, less intellectual (therefore more ‘grounded’) peoples as my life transforms into purgatory. To survive I develop concepts of purity and cleanliness ; only sexual practice that is ‘pure’ is acceptable. In my homeliness I keep my house clean. When self-hate is intense I feel sick of my past life, my life is a wasted life ; I wish that I could forget my past so that I can start afresh.

Pride (= hatred of others + vanity)

The presence of negative thoughts about other people indicates pride, the vanity mode of which reflects a sense of superiority, and the hate mode originates destructive comments about them.

In the hate mode  I seek freedom from social restraints ; I negate the value of social concepts and responsibilities since I value only my own independence. I prefer to be left alone ; if I am not, then I daydream of violently opposing any restrictions to my independence. I belittle the achievements of others. I see my past life as a dreary life, a life of obeying rules and regulations, a life of obeying other people.

In the vanity mode  I judge all issues in black and white terms, I have no moderation, no flexibility and no toleration to opposing views. I am dogmatic. My views cannot be wrong.

The next article describes the characteristics of Love and Hate.

Copyright @2002  Ian Heath
All Rights Reserved

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