Confession

In the Catholic Church we have something called "Confession."  People go to the priest and confess their sins and ask to be forgiven.  What is that all about?  Well, often it is rather self-serving.  People feel shame and guilt about some action.  They want to feel better.  They confess.  They feel better.  It is not about God or love of God.  It does not lead to humility.  They are sorry for feeling so badly themselves, rather than that they have offended anyone.

Is it not like that in interpersonal relations?  We say that we are sorry, so that we will feel better, so that people will like us or not be mad at us.  How will sorrow, shame or guilt have anything to do with caring about the person we have offended?  When we love them more than we love ourselves.  Narcissism is a short-term solution to our miseries and foibles.