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The siege ended when two of the hostages, Tori Johnson, the café manager, and Katrina Dawson, were tragically killed — an outcome that loomed large over Mark for years afterwards.
“I actually had guilt for not killing someone, which is an unusual way of putting it, because most normal people have an inherent resistance to killing another human,” Mark said.
David Spektor is a Clinical Psychologist, he says guilt is a corrective emotion. Source: SBS
Is guilt a useful emotion?
Guilt differs from shame, however, although they are often confused. At a very basic level, David differentiates the two as: “Guilt is ‘I did something bad’ whereas shame is ‘I am bad’,” David said.
“We avoid it [guilt] at all costs because it’s very painful. But I do believe that if we educated people about guilt, about its utility, about its beauty, we build our capacity to tolerate it,” David said.
Patricia and her husband Shaun. Patricia was born with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and says her condition means that her husband has to take a more active role in taking care of her and their children. Source: SBS
How guilt can impact our daily lives
“He goes above and beyond to be my carer, to be the dad and be the mum sometimes when I’m not there. He provides for us,” Patricia told Insight.
“So, it does eat at me at times.”
Overcoming guilt and using it for good
“I think that’s how I’ve harnessed my guilt.”
