The Survivor’s Guilt
For most of my spiritual journey, I was in solitude, in the confines of my home. Then, my mentor encouraged me to jot down my life stories. In 2018–19, I began writing about my experiences.
To my shock, many people were jealous, while others began to fall at my feet. Both felt awkward, with the latter being more challenging to deal with. I was perplexed and even contemplated if I should quit writing.
That’s when my son, 11 years of age then, told me:
Don’t change anything you do; you are just facing the Survivor’s Guilt.
The Guilt of Success
Survivor’s guilt is a feeling people get when they escape a circumstance that wiped out many. For example, if only one person escaped a catastrophic natural disaster, they would feel this guilt.
However, survivor’s guilt is also common among successful people, who become the cause of envy for others. This is especially true if the successful person does not value their victory or regards it as something they are undeserving of.
According to psychologists, almost all successful leaders, celebrities, and sports persons have experienced this guilt at some point.
