The Descent of Man

will surely come. He will then feel remorse,
repentance, regret, or shame; this latter feeling,
however, relates almost exclusively to the
judgment of others. He will consequently resolve
more or less firmly to act differently for
the future; and this is conscience; for conscience
looks backwards, and serves as a guide for the
future.
The nature and strength of the feelings which
we call regret, shame, repentance or remorse,
depend apparently not only on the strength of
the violated instinct, but partly on the strength
of the temptation, and often still more on the
judgment of our fellows. How far each man
values the appreciation of others, depends on
the strength of his innate or acquired feeling of
sympathy; and on his own capacity for reasoning
out the remote consequences of his acts.
Another element is most important, although
not necessary, the reverence or fear of the Gods,
or Spirits believed in by each man: and this