In what way can guilt be a positive emotion?

Answer 1

If you have done something that you feel is harmful to yourself and/or others and feel guilty about it and based on that feeling you discontinue said harmful behavior, then the guilt reinforced positive behavior.

Answer:

There seem to be some confusion between emotions and consciousness. Emotions cause one to act impulsively. It is having its root in our base nature. The consciousness on the other hand prevents us humans from acting in an impulsive way.

All impulses, whether originating to make us seek escape or to make us stand and fight are a kind of energy akin to electrical energy, which has the power to jump across the nerve ending and come to the surface of consciousness. Conscience is the component, which precludes one from fulfilling the desire for forbidden wishes. In some, it is present and in some, it is conspicuous by its absence.

Scientists have recognized the seat of emotions, but they have not discovered the seat of consciousness.

Almond-shaped groups of nuclei located deep within the medial temporal lobes of the brain in complex vertebrates, including humans known as Amygdala has been recognized as seat of emotions. Amygdala has a primary role to play in the processing and memory of emotional reactions. Amygdalae are a part of the limbic system.

Amygdalae are an area for the storage of memories associated with emotional events. It is not the memory of this present life. It is not even the memories of our human ancestors. It is the painful memories of our progenitors of time long past of an era much before they had evolved into humans. These memories as impulses rise to the surface of consciousness as and when we encounter experiences similar to the one they had experienced before in their living state. These impulses as energy rise to tell and guide us what must we do under a situation posing a danger to our own existence.

These impulses have their origin in two types of nature. The nature of one type of impulse asks us to seek escape. The other kind asks us to stand up and fight. This poses a kind of conflicting situation. Under this situation, the logical function that is and / or, yes / no function in our left-brain hemisphere enable us to decide how we must act under a certain situation.

There are functional differences between the right and left Amygdala. In one study, electrical stimulation of the right Amygdala induced negative emotions, especially fear and sadness. In contrast, stimulation of the left Amygdala was able to induce either pleasant (happiness) or unpleasant (fear, anxiety, sadness) emotions. Other evidence suggests that the left Amygdala plays a role in inducing reward system of our human brain.

The left Amygdala contains the fruit of knowledge of our progenitors of the yore, which they offer us to eat as and when something tempts us. Right Amygdala contains the consciousness, which is still in the developmental stage. It helps us not only to make the right choice, but it saves us from the consequences of our sinful actions.

Answer 2

If they convince you to quit doing or avoid doing things that are bad or dangerous for you.