ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author argues that remorse is the healthy emotion alternative to guilt. When a person experiences remorse as a healthy alternative to guilt, they make the same inferences as they do when they experience guilt. In general, when a person feels remorse about breaking a moral or ethical code, the person holds a flexible attitude towards such a code violation and an unconditional self-acceptance attitude towards this violation. In general, when a person feels remorse about harming or hurting the feelings of someone else, they hold a flexible attitude towards their role in this situation and an unconditional self-acceptance attitude towards their role. When a person holds a remorse-based flexible/non-extreme attitude towards thinking that they have broken their moral code, they failed to do the right thing and/or they caused harm or hurt to others, this attitude will influence the way that they subsequently think.
