Activate the guilt centre

Ways of the world

Everything we do is not always streaked with morality. The world survives and thrives on logic and analytical application of carefully deliberated information. The classic systems in place, education, information, communication, technology, industries, businesses, research and development; all apparently base themselves on the needs of society and the duty that each doer performs to oneself and the world. This is expectantly with the hope of making the world a better place for the survival of the self as well as generations to follow. Does that leave any room at all for morals and righteousness and would they play a role in anything at all in the world today?

Action: Moral or Immoral?

Consciousness and cognizance typically delineate iniquitous acts from moral ones. The human brain in spite of its idiosyncrasies is quite a marvel and has precise areas outlined for the most specific abstract functions. Righteousness, justice, morality are all virtues that may be unavailable to many, simply because some people have no access to them. They do exist in every hard drive but are frequently hidden in locked folders that are zipped away, never to be retrieved. This can result in depraved acts at all levels. Cheating, corruption, lying, theft, treachery, terrorism are escalating levels of immoral crimes that prevail when goodness fails.

The ‘sickness’ of immorality

The conscience denotes existence of a moral standard within oneself; a super ego that has the ability to identify a compromise in morality, subsequently directing an individual towards pro social acts. Guilt is an emotion and brings out responsibility towards the violation, typically warranting merit for the correction. The emotion is generated from the ‘amygdala’ the seat of all emotions in the brain. While most humans are born alike, there may alterations in the amygdala construction in the brains of some, thereby defining immoral genetic predisposition. However majority of genetics is also modifiable and is socio environmentally determined. Values and morals instilled in children while they are young are equivalent to a treachery antidote that assures good behaviour for an entire lifetime. Failing to give it is a lot worse than not immunizing the child with polio and DPT vaccines that typically protect them against fatal illnesses.

Psychodynamic perspectives

‘Ego’ represents a sense of the self. Ego is the actuality of existence that was well elucidated by Freud as the reality principle. ‘Id’ as voiced by Freud is a pleasure driven principle, the relentless desire to fulfill all wants (frequently deemed as needs by the unrestricted pleasure principle). ‘Super-ego’ is the morality principle that usually tames the id. The blend of all three composes the state of the human mind and the direction it yields. An understanding of guilt entails deciphering the interactions between these 3 states. If

• Id overpowering ego and super ego = Absence of remorse
• Super ego overpowering id and ego = Excessive guiltiness
• Truce between these three states = Guilt with rectification

Treating the ‘sickness’ of immorality would demand every individual to be aware of the existence of these and how to apply them for the right purpose; actions then would be more under appropriate control.

Path to cure: Activate the guilt centre

The external sources of guilt activation (explanation, guidance, sermons, behavior modification) do not impact the emotional centres of the brain unless some wiring has previously occurred. Parents and teachers play the biggest role in this brain cabling process. If this is done at the right time and moral awareness is built; it always fires signals coxing people to do the right thing. If they lose their track, they can be brought back with the right stimulation. Without wiring, one can still awaken the guilt centre and force an inner voice to speak out aloud to do what is right and what is just to most. The voice is frequently soft and inaudible. It’s in each ones control to adjust the volume of the ambient sound to listen to it and make the right choice.