Yes. I identify with this a lot. Usually when I feel guilty for having fun it's when I'm not doing anything that I consider productive. So something like baking is okay because it produced a result, but watching TV makes me feel guilty because I'm not getting anything out of it. I often have to justify to myself why I need certain things. Ie, "watching this movie is productive because I can be critical of it and become a better writer by observing the writing of the film." I feel like I have to constantly be on the move because otherwise I have to stop and think about all the things I could be doing or should be doing. I'm 7w6 and 1-fixed and this rings very true for me.
Guilt
Does this sound accurate to you, 7s?
Any 7s have thoughts on guilt?
I suspect tritype and wing would affect how prominent this voice is (7w6 and 1 fixed 7s will probably feel it more strongly than 8 fixed/wing, for example) but this does make a lot of sense, at least from my perspective as a 1. It would also partially explain some of the intense reactions I've seen from 7s to criticism from others for their "irresponsibility"; while nobody likes to be judged, 7s seem especially sensitive to that sort of criticism, which would make sense if it mirrors things they've said to themselves before.A substantial part of 7 psychology is constantly staying active and occupied to avoid confronting a nagging feeling of guilt that lurks deep inside. 7s are connected to 1s, after all, and while they're not superego types and they do prioritize enjoyment and pleasure, there's always a mostly-ignored voice deep within nipping at their heels, saying "you know you should take things more seriously/you know you could do better/you know you're not doing what you should be doing", and this self-judgment is a major driving factor behind their race to constantly find new, exciting things to do that can drown out that voice.
Any 7s have thoughts on guilt?
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@Yeahright it makes sense that it would be more of a socially imposed guilt for you since you're both so-first and 3-fixed. That's super interesting. My guilt can be socially imposed but is usually me kicking my own ass over and over for not being The Best I Can Be
I'm also so-first.Hmm yeah, that's probably it, the so part. 3 can def bring a lot of guilt though haha. I feel like it's similar to 1 in that way.
I used to feel guilty for feeling bad. Like, for having emotions. My mom used to tell me, "You look really stupid when you cry" - usually when I was upset that she wouldn't give me what I want, but does it matter, really? That's a terrible thing to tell a little kid. And when I was a teenager and I had friends with depression and friends who had been abused and friends whose parents had died, I had to be the neurotypical one, the supporter, the one who didn't have any problems. The funny thing is that I'm not neurotypical and I did have problems. I just didn't let myself feel them because I felt guilty for having depression - I didn't have anything to be depressed about, and I had to just deny it because it wasn't there because my friends' lives were worse than my own and so I basically gave up my emotions for the sake of the group. It makes me think now of the social 7 idea of "sacrifice," which I hate but realize I do relate to.
I'm better about not doing that now, but yeah - I numbed myself a lot as a teenager because I felt guilty for feeling anything but good.
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