In Chapter 4 of The Problem of Pain, when Lewis affirms that we ought to experience the emotion of guilt or shame related to our sinfulness, he does not do so because he thinks we should be a gloomy people. He sees those emotions as alerts to the fact of our sinfulness, which we need to honestly and concretely acknowledge and not forget. But as for the climate of our souls, he recommends - as a "layman," of course:
"My own idea, for what it is worth, is that all sadness which is not either arising from the repentance of a concrete sin and hastening towards concrete amendment or restitution, or else arising from pity and hastening to active assistance, is simply bad; and I think we all sin by needlessly disobeying the apostolic injunction to 'rejoice' as much as by anything else." (p. 61, 2001 ed.)
He speaks of our refusing to rejoice as "needless." It is needless because there is so much to rejoice about, and because we are not commanded to be gloomy about what's wrong with us. We are to experience sorrow for sin, either in our own lives or what it is doing to others, but only enough to motivate us to do something about it. Otherwise, what's the use - especially when the condition of our souls affects our ability to love others, which is paramount? Worth considering.
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