Guilt Tripping

Dear Suze, I’ve dated a nice man for about a year. We were introduced shortly after my husband of 40 years died and I was grieving. Now he wants to move in and marry. I feel so guilty for leading him on, but I can’t to this to myself. There’s got to be more to life than nice and comfortable. 

Dear Guilty, Guilt is manmade. A social construct tied to self-awareness, moral reasoning, -a stop sign to think before inflicting harm. At its worst, guilting others is used to control them. At its best, it regulates us to feel badly about our shitty behavior, take responsibility, and make amends. No need to feel guilty if you didn’t promise commitment. You’re ready for a bigger dating pool. Go explore. -SQ