Guilt is Made Up

[Dimmesdale]

Guilt is nonsense, there is no such thing. It is a lot of hot air.

There is no such thing as guilt apart from thoughts about it in the mind. 'Guilt' is simply a label we choose to attach to some actions we deem wrong or heretical.

This is not to say that there is not such a thing as accountability. The idea that we can improve our actions or make amends for poor choices and so on, - that is totally legitimate. If we have concretely done some wrong that effects others, and it is in our power to remedy the situation -- well, there you go, Accountability.

With guilt however, there is nothing useful or good about it. It simply wastes mental energy. It is a fraud and a farce; a vain, worthless thing that we simply use to "show" we care (even if we really don't).

The same goes for sin, redemption, salvation, and so on. All these things are mere hocus pocus; mere alchemical ingredients in the untamed artistic maelstrom that is the religious narrative. It has no basis in concrete fact at all.