Quotes About Guilt

Everyone, it seems, wants absolution for something.

Do not compare" is the mantra of moral blackmailers.

What seems to have been at work is the axiom, rarely made articulate, but deeply held by many people, that affronted nature will always avenge itself on guilty humanity.

As Gregg Easterbrook points out, "Many environmentalists consider the mere mention of adaptation Ito climate change) heretical because it implies that humanity can overcome global warming rather than be overcome by it, thus shifting the emphasis away from green guilt."37

Rather, it is the ontological shadowland of "nonhuman others" that must be vindicated. In this quasi-theology, to enter the state of domination/damnation we needn't act to evil effect, deliberately or otherwise. Our "knowledge" is sufficient to condemn us. "Modern science" itself is the source of the evil taint. To know is to be guilty of dominating what is known.

We are all so guilty at the way we have allowed the world around us to become more ugly and tasteless every year that we surrender to terror and steep ourselves in it.

Is not the semblance of guilt, however slight the tinge, already a corruption?

These days, projecting blame is almost an art form.

It bothered me very much that they took both women away. The fat crazy woman had been permitted to go about her business until someone resisted. Then both victim and victimizer were treated as equally guilty.

they knew the cops liked to solve cases by "discovering" evidence against whomever they decided must be guilty. Best to give them nothing. They never helped when people called for help.

The cops liked to solve cases by "discovering" evidence against whomever they decided must be guilty.

I felt as if the words I had spoken that day had soiled my tongue and mouth.

The only art her guilt to cover,To hide her shame from every eye,To give repentance to her lover,And wring his bosom, is—to die.

When lovely woman stoops to folly, And finds too late that men betray, What charm can sooth her melancholy, What art can wash her guilt away? The only art her guilt to cover, To hide her shame from every eye, To give repentance to her lover, And wring his bosom—is to die.

The pain which conscience gives the man who has already done wrong is soon got over. Conscience is a coward; and those faults it has not strength enough to prevent, it seldom has justice enough to accuse.

Living itself is the source of sin.

Forgive me. I didn't mean to kill you, Polonius. The blade slipped out of the sheath, and it struck you.

That's all right. I'll eat it cold. No need to warm it up." Ojii-san shrinks guiltily into himself as he sits down. He's dying to tell his wife about all the marvelous things that happened last night, but in the stern and austere atmosphere of her presence he finds the words sticking in his throat. He eats with head bowed, feeling perfectly wretched

Even if their faces turn pale, what kind of proof would that be? And on the other hand if they laugh with no concern at all, that doesn't mean they're not guilty. We could of course judge the sharpness or dullness of their senses, but we can't judge their innocence.

The mother of that child is bad." Everything is the mother's fault.

There is luxury in self-reproach.... When we blame ourselves we feel no one else has a right to blame us.

You will always be fond of me. I represent to you all the sins you never had the courage to commit.

I, a guilty sinner, can never work to get right with God—it is impossible. There is only one way by which I can get right with God, and that is through the death of Jesus Christ.

Alas! How difficult it is to prevent the countenance from betraying guilt!