Shame and guilt are motivating emotions and cause behaviors that can be both healthy and unhealthy. For example, when a child feels guilty about breaking something in the house, they may try to be more careful about their play. If a wife was cheating on her husband she may feel guilty and confess. The downside would be if the husband felt shame about not being able to keep his wife interested in him and him only...he might be motivated to kill her. Guilt is when a person feels bad about a specific behavior. Shame is when a person feels bad about themselves. Shame is the stronger of the two