Here the point to stress is when a person feels guilty it is not primarily an external judgment that constitutes the guilt, rather it is a self judgment. A person is guilty before him or herself. Thus, it is understandable how a transvestite or transsexual can feel gnawing guilt even when those around him or her are completely ignorant of his or her situation. Additionally, we must recognize that others cannot be solely responsible for our feelings of guilt. Also, it is difficult to put a fence around guilt and keep it isolated in some corner of one's personality.
Guilt tends to take over the person's sense of self in a fundamental way.
It is very difficult to sweep guilt under the rug. This aspect of guilt is powerfully illustrated in Dostoevsky's famous story Crime and Punishment. Many transvestites and transsexuals go through a period of self-hate and self punishment to purge themselves of guilt feelings. Guilt is an aspect of life It is important to realize that there is no way to completely escape feelings of guilt. Existential philosophers and psychologists have argued that guilt is an aspect of human existence.