Conscience

Even though everybody feels that they know what conscience is. They find it hard to explain what it is. Why many people who abide their conscience do not know what is conscience. Just like people fear God, people fear their conscience. As a result, we come across numerous views as soon as we confront the question what is conscience. It is an inner sense of what is right or wrong in one's conduct or motives, impelling one toward right action. It is the faculty of knowing one's own thoughts or mental operations. It is a faculty of mind. It is said to be the presence of God in a man. It is the light of the Soul that burns within the chambers of your heart. Nobody may know what wrong an individual has done; it is conscience of that individual which knows what wrong that individual has done. One on several occasions need not care anybody but their own conscience. One may cheat anybody but not their conscience. One need not be answerable to anyone but they are definitely answerable to their conscience. Conscience is a good ruler. It is conscience which often comes in one’s way when they want to do something bad. It is conscious that takes care of us. It is our protector. It is aware of that which is happening around us. It knows what we should do and what we should not do. Conscience is our hidden self. It is a concept evolved long long ago. It is an alarm which wakes us up when we are treading a wrong path. It is man within man.

In different languages different words are coined to describe conscience. Conscience is one’s inner voice which puts forth its frank view on every matter without any reservation to their benefit. It is the inner light which warns them whenever they tread a wrong path. It is man's compass. It is always an alert. It always sends signals. It is an inner eye. It is which does not allow one to act according to their whims and fancies.It is an individual who has to decide whether to follow what conscience says or ignore it. It is an individual who nurtures conscience or leaves it to its sake. More importance one gives to conscience more it develops.

Conscience develops qualitatively in one as they get more of experience,knowledge, and culture. Conscience depends upon one's maturity. One's conscience always tells one nothing but truth. It is an opinion formed within. Whether one is good or bad they have a conscience. It is an eye within.A good individual generally obeys their conscience whereas a bad individual does not obey their conscience. One who obeys conscience has a clear conscience whereas conscience of one who does not obey conscience is maligned one. It is one who does not obey their conscience who generally commits heinous crimes. Whenever one who obeys one's conscience does something wrong even by mistake, feels guilty and repents unfailingly. One who has conscience always admits their guilt whereas one with guilty conscience never admits that they were at fault.They always conceal or hide their guilt. Conscience is nothing but a positive thought that arises in one's mind. It goes on arising in the mind of an individual at regular intervals until it is responded positively. Even if nobody questions us. Conscience itself questions us whether what we have done or said is okay. Further,it itself submits an answer to those questions too.

Conscience depends upon nature of an individual. It is one’s guide. It is the best judge. It is not a separate organ in human body. It is within us but could never be seen. However, its presence could be felt. It never sleeps. It is an alarm within that wakes us in time. It is always awake to uphold high values. It is the moral authority. Conscience morally binds one. Everyone is supposed to act according to the dictates of their conscience. It knows which is good and which is bad. It always tries to save a life. It always thinks well. It always wants to help people in distress. It is a place where everything good has a place. Great qualities in human beings lie in their conscience. It realizes everything. It not only stores every mistake committed by us knowingly but also reminds us against repeating them. It recognizes good in others especially in rivals. It is always not for indiscrimination. It supports always the deserving. When nobody questions us it is conscience which questions us. It is conscience which always does introspection. Conscience is nothing but what one feels within himself or herself. The best way to mend a person is to attack their conscience. An appeal to one’s conscience is always effective and yields better results than any other tool. It can be used as a weapon too. When somebody hurts us continuously and when we do not come across any sign of repentance in them , the doubt whether they have a conscience in them or not that arises in us. We notice other good qualities too in a person who abides conscience. It is one who abides by their conscience generally gives room to fear. William Shakespeare says "Thus conscience does make cowards of us all”

One is supposed to act always according to dictates of their conscience. One may get benefited by acting against dictates of their conscience but such benefits are temporary only. If one goes on violating dictates of their conscience, they cannot remember each one of such instances of violation. Violation becomes a routine to them. It becomes voluntary. There will be no prick of conscience to them at all. One who has no conscience normally stoops to any level. What they would do and what they would not do that nobody can imagine even They do not bother to know what is good or what is bad also. A man without a conscience is said to be no better than a beast. It is always very difficult to deal with those who have no conscience at all.

Conscience is a court room or a chamber of justice within us. Plaintiff and defendants there are none other than our own thoughts in that chamber. Arguments and counter arguments always take place before a judgment is arrived there. Whatever that one records in their conscience is the best witness that they could have always.

Sometimes conscience produces wonders. Where everything fails, it succeeds. Nobody could catch him. Nobody could suspect him. He was very tactful in his moves. He would have remained Scott free. However conscience did not allow him to remain quiet. He surrendered to police and confessed his offense. Conscience does not allow one to remain above law of land. Conscience always respects law. Conscience is very powerful.

Conscience of one person is independent of conscience of other person. Further,if one is health conscious, cost conscious,and duty conscious , that does not mean that they abide by their conscience. Democracy supports individual conscience. Law always upholds individual conscience. Communism suppresses individual conscience. Various factors like experience, knowledge, culture leisure etc influence one's conscience. Sometimes other thoughts surround conscience and do not allow conscience to work at all. Those who abide by conscience are generally highly principled. They set to themselves certain parameters and confine themselves to those parameters only. They never transgress those limits. Conscience performs vigilance for everybody.

Everybody speaks of conscience. Every religion speaks of conscience. Every religion wants to inspire our calm composed conscience. It is a place where turmoil takes place when we harm others. It is conscience which always pricks whenever we do something wrong. It is a chamber of justice. It is which persuades us to do something good too. It is which prevents us from doing anything wrong also. It does not trouble us generally when we are busy and occupied unless it is very serious and something grave we are going to commit. During our leisure time only it takes us to task usually .It utilizes our leisure time always fruitfully. Certain things nobody could question us except our own conscience and we are answerable to it only. We need not be afraid anything else more than our conscience in certain matters. Conscience comes to our rescue whenever we are on wrong path, it questions us and we are answerable to it. Conscience is our boss. Conscience and we are not two separate entities. Both of us are one and one only. Both cannot be separated at all. Conscience is always right. It always shows us right path. It is not easy to repel an attack on conscience. An attack on conscience is one of the best ways to bring a man on to right path. It is often used to transform a man.

There is no pillow so soft as a clear conscience. One who has clear conscience would always have a sound sleep.They need not be afraid of anything also. On the contrary one who has no clear conscience would not have proper sleep at all.Further,conscience always tries to compensate. It is in conscience where one's sympathies accumulate. An appeal to it always gives a good positive response. Anything that touches the conscience could not be easily brushed off or disposed off.

Conscience can never be bad. Generally, God fearing persons are more conscience minded for they are afraid of punishment at the hand of God for their misdeeds if any. Nobody generally reveals their conscience to others except to their kith and kin. What our conscience tells we only know .It is a secret within us.

Conscience is nothing but realization which needs compliance and we would be reminded again and again of our duty by our sub-conscious mind until sub-conscious mind is fully satisfied with our compliance of duties. Conscience and subconscious are one. They are not separate. There are closely knit together. There is link between them. Whenever we violate any ethics knowingly, it is subconscious mind that remind us of the ethics to be followed repeatedly whereas it is conscience that dissuades violation. Of course behaviour of some people leads us to question whether the conscience prevails in them.

If one cannot make others happy, one should not do anything that hurts others feelings too. They are people who are not at all bothered about the opinion which others may form regarding them. They do not care for any consequences. They go on telling lies and cheat the people especially those who have helped them earlier on a number of occasions. Similarly, a husband deceiving his wife and children, or a wife deceiving husband and children, or children deceiving their parents give room to our doubt regarding the presence of conscience in human beings. How could one harm their kith and kin that are dear to them? Whether people who deceive have no conscience? In all these cases, it seems the circumstances and situation might be the reason behind or it may be sometimes spur of the moment or fit of the anger or may be revengeful attitude or misunderstanding and as a result of anyone or more of these reasons, the conscience might have become ineffective for the time being. As such, they might be going against their conscience. But everybody has to pay or repent for their lapses. It is conscience which always gives birth to repentance. Everybody commits mistakes but in their attempt to come out of mistake they commit more mistakes and they are caught in a web from which it is very difficult to come out. This may also be the reason behind such instances. One cannot go against conscience always. It is only a temporary phase. One day or another every person has to act according to their conscience. If we satisfy our conscience we would definitely have complacency.

If nothing is there inside a man it matters a little. But,if a man does not have conscience, it matters a lot. What others could not do conscience could do. Sometimes it is conscience which does wonders. Consciences are not at all of the same pattern. Conscience differs from person to person. Conscience depends upon qualities which are imbibed in an individual. Even customs and culture do exercise influence over conscience.Conscience does not permit us to transgress customs, religion and beliefs. Conscience fearing personalities are plenty in any society.

Conscience is psychological. It creates generally fear psychosis. They are God fearing and conscience fearing personalities in this world. Conscience fearing and god fearing people always go hand in glove. They neither do anything which is harmful to the society nor encourage any anti social activities also. They contribute to the peace in society. Conscience prompts generosity. Conscience creates feeling of gratitude in human beings also. Conscience adds to one's courage. Conscience is a good motivator. A change in one’s behavior is brought out many times by their conscience only.

The importance of Conscience could be felt in the remark “Whether conscience is dead in him?” This is the remark generally that one makes only as a matter of last resort when they could not bear a situation where unbearable, undesirable and horrible are taking place and a man is quiet. It emanates from the bottom of heart or from one's conscience. It is conscience which feels in advance what is likely to take place. Capabilities of conscience could not be measured at all. We are bound by our conscience. Conscience is our friend philosopher and the guide. Conscience makes a man good man. Those who have conscience always behave well. They understand others difficulties very well also. Conscience does not allow one to trouble others at all. One should keep their conscience clear as clean as a flawless diamond. One’s behavior unfolds what is there in their conscience. One, who has no clear conscience, cannot talk freely. Generally, they stagger in their speech.One who has no clear conscience looks at others with suspicion. Dealing with anybody who has no clear conscience will never be smooth. One should allow conscience to rule them. Of course, one should not allow it to overrule them.