Guilt upon the conscience, like rust upon iron, both defiles and consumes it, gnawing and creeping into it, as that does which at last eats out the very heart and substance of the metal.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Guilt slowly corrupts a person's conscience like rust eats iron.
- In plain terms
- Guilt rots your conscience from the inside like rust does metal.
- What can you take from it?
- Ignoring guilt allows it to destroy your character over time.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How does guilt change behavior?
- Is guilt always bad?
Another view
It treats guilt as purely destructive rather than potentially corrective.
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