I think it's Diana Fleischmann from whom I've heard the metaphor of flossing your teeth: when you start after not doing it, you bleed, maybe hurt, so you're getting feedback similar to actions that would be harming your body; similarly, when you reflect upon a new area where you could be morally better, you get feedback (shame, fear, etc…
I think it's Diana Fleischmann from whom I've heard the metaphor of flossing your teeth: when you start after not doing it, you bleed, maybe hurt, so you're getting feedback similar to actions that would be harming your body; similarly, when you reflect upon a new area where you could be morally better, you get feedback (shame, fear, etc) similar to what you'd get if you were doing something currently on your radar as wrong. Natural selection has optimized us for avoiding the feeling of guilt and shame as a proxy for avoiding doing things that warrant guilt and shame.
I think it's Diana Fleischmann from whom I've heard the metaphor of flossing your teeth: when you start after not doing it, you bleed, maybe hurt, so you're getting feedback similar to actions that would be harming your body; similarly, when you reflect upon a new area where you could be morally better, you get feedback (shame, fear, etc) similar to what you'd get if you were doing something currently on your radar as wrong. Natural selection has optimized us for avoiding the feeling of guilt and shame as a proxy for avoiding doing things that warrant guilt and shame.