Your conscience is the part of your personality that helps you determine between right and wrong and keeps you from acting upon your most basic urges and desires. It is what makes you feel guilty when you do something bad and good when you do something kind. Your conscience is the moral basis that helps guide pro-social behavior and leads you to behave in socially acceptable and even altruistic ways. Conscience is a personal sense of the moral content of one’s own conduct, intentions, or character with regard to a feeling of obligation to do right or be good. Conscience, usually informed by acculturation and instruction, is thus generally understood to give intuitively authoritative judgments regarding the moral quality of single actions. In a broader way, Conscience is a cognitive process that elicits emotion and rational associations based on an individual’s moral philosophy or value system. Conscience stands in contrast to elicited emotion or thought due to associations based on immediate sensory perceptions and reflexive responses, as in sympathetic central nervous system responses. In common terms, conscience is described as leading to feelings of remorse when a person commits an act that conflicts with their moral values. The extent to which conscience informs moral judgment before an action and whether such moral judgments are or should be based on reason has occasioned debate through much of modern history between theories of basics in ethic of human life in juxtaposition to the theories of romanticism and other reactionary movements after the end of the Middle Ages. Commonly used metaphors for conscience include the “voice within” or “the “inner light. Conscience is a concept in national and international law, is increasingly conceived of as applying to the world as a whole, has motivated numerous notable acts for the public good and been the subject of many prominent examples of literature, music and film. I hear about people who lie, cheat, and steal, and I ask myself why? Are they so mediocre that they have to lie to make themselves look good? Are they so desperate that they have to cheat to get ahead? Are they so hopeless that they have to steal to satisfy their greed? Most of all…are they so shallow that their guilt doesn’t haunt them every single night? Why don’t they listen to their conscience? Some folks think their poor behavior is acceptable. I’m here to tell you it’s not. They’re willing to turn a deaf ear to their wrongdoings. The truth is, when you think you’re fooling the world, you’re only kidding yourself. A life of honor offers abundant rewards; a life of dishonor comes at a very steep price. Your conscience should be your guiding force every day.
Reasons Why People Ignore Their Conscience
1. Poor nurturing. When kids grow up, they hear their parent’s guiding voice in their subconscious. When parents ignore that responsibility, their kids get the silent treatment.
2. Toxic peer pressure. There is a difference between right and wrong. Poor role models are terrible influences.
3. Instant gratification. Some folks take shortcuts — even dishonest ones — to secure rewards. They don’t want to work hard to earn their success.
4. Impulsive behavior. Some folks act first, think later. (What are they thinking?)
5. No consequences. Some people gamble that they won’t get caught.
6. Everybody does it. Some folks excuse bad behavior by thinking “Everybody does it.”
7. Repeat offender. Some people “get away with murder,” and think they can get away with it again.
8. Sense of entitlement. Some people want something so bad that they take it.
9. End justifies the means. Some folks believe immoral behavior is acceptable if it’s done for the right reason. Wrong!
10. Lie to yourself. Some people tell themselves they’ll only do it once. Okay…maybe twice.
Why Should You Listen to Your Conscience?
Make yourself proud: You have one life to live. Set high standards. Remain true to your values. You have to live with yourself for the rest of your life.
Live without regrets: There is a difference between right and wrong. Period! Knowing what’s right isn’t as important as doing what’s right.
You are a role model: People look up to you. They’re learning by your behavior. Don’t let them down. Teach them that integrity matters!
It is good business. Everything else being equal, talented people would rather work for — and customers would rather buy from — companies that do right by their people, customers, and communities.
Build a solid reputation: Your reputation is like a shadow, following you wherever you go. Protect it like it is the most valuable asset you own — because it is.
Get a good night’s sleep: Listen to your conscience. Sleep well!
Wake Up and Listen to Your Conscience: Ask yourself, if it’s so obvious, why don’t people live this way? You are not asked to be a saint, but let’s get real. You have one life to live. And YOU get to choose the path you’ll take. You can take the high ground and live your life with honor and integrity. Or, you can take the low road and sell your soul to the highest bidder. At the end of the day, when you’re lying awake at night, you will know which path you’ve chosen. I hope you chose well. As Robert Frost said, in The Road Not Taken, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I — I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” Care not only about where life is taking you, but about how you’re getting there as well. Don’t listen to me; listen to your conscience.
Listen to Your Conscience. That’s why you have ONE: Some people spend their whole life searching for the best way to achieve success, happiness, and inner peace. You don’t have to.
If you want to achieve your lifelong dreams, the key is to live a life of honor and integrity. While most people would agree that being a principled individual is an admirable goal, you may be unconvinced that it can actually produce the results that you desire. Listen to Your Conscience: That’s why you have ONE, will prove to you that living a life of honor and integrity will help you reach your goals. — Better yet, it will show you how! Listen to Your Conscience is an actionable advice that will help you:
• Strengthen your credibility
• Build trusting relationships
• Raise your personal standards
• Be a better role model
• Live a balanced life
• Find your purpose
• Boost your leadership skills
• Supercharge your career
• Attain greater success, happiness, and inner peace
( The author is teacher at Govt Boys High School Brakpora Anantnag. Views are his own)
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