Guilt is an odd emotion. I have been talking about expressing emotions, but guilt feels almost like self attack, self flagellation, making the recriminations inside your head that could and perhaps were made by someone else. How do you let emotions flow that feel like barbed wire?
Clearly, guilt has a purpose. It is what distinguishes the psychologically normal from sociopaths. But it can be abused in so many ways. Overly done, dramatically done, flamboyantly done, it avoids the actual feeling. Not felt at all, and the stasis of the system is assured.
But what is it? I think in the end it is a call to qualitative change. You made a mistake, were weak, were hasty, for reasons of a character flaw. True expression of guilt is honest self assessment and CORRECTION of the flaw. Since correction implies acceptance of imperfection, this is hard to do.
And so we dance.