Existential guilt, according to May, arises from the inevitable gap between what one is and what one could be. It is a response to the perception that one has not lived up to one's full potential. This form of guilt is not related to the violation of social or moral norms, but rather to a self-perception of having failed to be authentic and realize one's possibilities. It is a guilt that is born from the freedom and responsibility inherent in the human condition.