I use SHAME in relation to breaking my own standards, GUILT re
breaking standards set by others: right or wrong?

Dear JHH, 

What an interestingly subtle question. 
I just had to look it up to see what Webster says.

My favorite dog-eared, 1724-page, dictionary, the Webster's New World
Dictionary, College Edition (1966)says:

"Guilt n. - 1. the act or state of having done a wrong or committed an
offense; culpability; legal or ethical. 2. conduct that involves
guilt; wrongdoing; crime; sin."

"Shame n. - (This has a very long definition. Lots of nuances. I won't
include them all here.) 1. a disturbed or painful feeling of guilt,
incompetence, indecency, or blameworthiness. 2. a tendency to have
feelings of this kind. 3) dishonor; disgrace..."

In essence, 'guilt' is more of an external concept. An action or
conduct.
While 'shame' is more of a feeling (yours or others towards you). 

So, to go back to your own definition. Shame is what you might feel
for being guilty of breaking others' rules or standards.

Does this work for you?

Best wishes,

Your TaxMama-ga

Wish I had a 4.75 star.

if you would like a more detailed discussion of this topic, i
recommend a book called 'shame and necessity' by bernard williams.  he
was the professor of an excellent philosophy class that i took at
berkeley.  i believe that it is in this book that he discusses the
nuances of guilt and shame and goes on to argue that shame is a
morally superior emotion to guilt.

I'd never heard the word GUILTY in any context other than a courtroom
finding until I moved from my hometown in North Carolina to New York
City.  I'd very definitely heard "You ought to be ashamed of yourself"
which, to me, meant "You KNOW what you did/said was wrong, you know
better: now go think about that, think of the harm you did or meant to
it." SHAME has served me well over the years. SHAME has heat and is
self-generated. I have known/accepted guilt via traffic tickets and
the theft of bubblegum at age 12: GUILT has weight and is assigned by
others.  --- Am I still on a track that keeps me clear to others when
I use each word?

Have just ordered a copy of  SHAME & NECESSITY, with thanks to
grosz-ga. Greatly looking forward to long-awaited moral superiority.

Shame is when you show something you know you shouldn't. Guilt is when
(after actually) you _do_ something you know you shouldn't. :)

The comment left by wod-ga on 8 October seems unfinished or fuzzy:
just don't get the explanation, but appreciate the effort.  jhh

Okay let's try this again. Lets assume A is married. In this
situation, walking on the street naked, is shame. If he/she picks up
anyone, what he feels the next morning is guilt.

Thanx Wod-ga.