Generally speaking, shame refers to negative or painful emotions that are tied to who we are or at least who we think we are.

Unlike guilt, which is usually attached to a specific thing we said or action we took, shame can feel more like there is something fundamentally wrong or broken with us; we feel guilt about something we did, we feel shame for something we are.

Both feelings are connected to messages and expectations of others, but shame may be distinguished by a particular depth of negative feeling about ourselves.

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