试译《乔治·波尔蒂的36种戏剧性情境》之三十四：悔恨

情境三十四：悔恨

具体描述

要素

犯罪者

受害者或者罪行

审问者

概要

犯罪者对受害者做了错事，或者犯下某种罪行。审问者使罪犯认罪。

变体

A

1. 对未知罪行的悔恨

2. 对弑父罪行的悔恨

3. 对暗杀的悔恨

4. 对谋杀丈夫或妻子的悔恨

B

1. 对爱错人的悔恨

2. 对通奸的悔恨

进一步讨论

当我们做了一些自认为错误的事情时，我们会感到内疚和自责，悔恨随之而来。我们知道这样做是错的，但直到反思自己的所作所为时，才会悔之不及。

当我们将自己的行为与价值观印证时，会产生认知失调的困惑，从而心生悔恨。在看有关悔恨的故事时，我们谴责错误行为，又对人物的悔恨感到同情。因此，我们可以把自己想象成法官或牧师，豁免人物先前的罪行。

Remorse

Description

Elements

The Culprit

The Victim or Sin

The Interrogator

Summary

The Culprit has done wrong to a Victim or committed another Sin. The Interrogator gets an admission of guilt.

Variants

A

1. Remorse for an unknown crime

2. Remorse for a parricide

3. Remorse for an assassination

4. Remorse for the murder of    husband or wife

B

1. Remorse for a fault of love

2. Remorse for an adultery

Discussion

When we have done something that we believe to be wrong, then we feel a sense of guilt and remorse. The remorse can come when we realize after having committed the sin that it was wrong. We may also know that it is wrong when we do it, but are not struck by remorse until we reflect upon what we have done.

Remorse is caused when we compare our actions with our values, resulting in the confusion of cognitive dissonance and subsequent regret. In watching stories about regret we rail at the wrong-doing but sympathize with the remorse. We may thus cast ourselves as judge or priest as we grant absolution for the earlier crime.