By BOSEDE OLUSOLA-OBASA
I have been in utter concern over the rate of deaths recorded around us. It has been very disturbing, to say the least. As I pondered, my mind raised the question of conscience. Yes, conscience, where did it go during those onslaughts, notwithstanding the veracity of the cause promoted by the actors? I recalled how potent the conscience was wired to be, such that even when the lines become blurry between good and evil, the conscience should help humans decipher accurately.
The Wiktionary defines conscience as ‘a moral sense of right and wrong, chiefly as it affects one’s behaviour,’ while Vincent Van Gogh called it ‘man’s compass.’ I couldn’t agree more with these bright minds. However, I know that the conscience has no power to act of its own accord. It can only submit to the whims and caprices of the carrier.
I sought deeper and found that the conscience is the only major difference between human beings and other animals. My search could not establish that other animals have a conscience! No wonder, when a person ceases to have a healthy conscience, they are reduced to the level of behaving like other animals, especially with no value for other human lives.
Just take a look around our nation and the world with unbelievable news items, many of which are evidence of people who have killed their conscience. You find dead consciences in the temples of justice, dead consciences controlling the reins of power, dead consciences as health providers in our hospitals, dead consciences as media professionals who push lies, and so on.
A dead conscience is the reason an old man has carnal knowledge of a little girl, yet he does not feel remorse. A dead conscience will make politicians stash away national wealth. A dead conscience will make people run their family names aground, such that generations after them have all good doors closed against them perpetually.
With a dead conscience, a fraudster, hired assassin, or robber hurts others for money and continues without guilt. A dead conscience has a significant role in all the killings and maiming. A dead conscience thrives in willful denial of the repercussions of one’s actions. A dead conscience steals to shine, it lies to lead, it robs to rise, and it deceives to dazzle.
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But rather than only bemoan these prevalent evils, I chose in this piece to guide you on how to do a conscience check to know if you are still ‘human.’ You need to have a conscience checkup regularly and learn to trust it, all things being equal. Whenever you undergo a conscience check, the diagnosis will often result in one or more of the following indicators, either positive or negative:
Clear or biased conscience
Innocent or guilty conscience
Good or evil conscience
Strong or weak conscience
Living or dead conscience
It was Queen Elizabeth I who said, “A clear and innocent conscience fears nothing.” So, arriving at any of these status results is not far-fetched. It only requires clarity and making quality decisions to stick to good values, key among which is value for human lives.
The following enlightenment will help you make informed decisions about maintaining a healthy conscience to make the world a better place in your own way:
Some Facts You Should Know About Conscience
- Every human being like you has a conscience.
- The conscience is malleable; its form can be altered if negatively exposed.
- The conscience assumes the status of its bearer from time to time.
- Your conscience defines you as a human being.
- You have a responsibility to strengthen and refine your conscience.
- Maintaining a good conscience is a lifetime exercise.
- Your conscience is your moral policeman.
- Your conscience initiates security controls to keep you from crossing the line.
- Your conscience cannot keep you sane without your cooperation.
- Your conscience can be corrupted and even mortified.
- A dead conscience relegates you to being less than human.
- Tampering with the health of your conscience happens gradually over time.
- Consistent neglect and frequent overrules weaken and eventually kill the conscience.
- Your conscience can lose its potency and accuracy to lead you correctly due to abuse.
You can constantly service your conscience to keep it clear by subscribing to the strength of character.
As with your body, your conscience needs a regular check-up, or it will die. Once dead, your conscience ceases to read signals correctly; it is abused and may become conditioned to read evil as good. At that point, you become exposed to vices, and you may no longer see the harm in the evil you are doing, no matter how obvious it is to others. The human conscience was installed by your Creator as a life security application. Once you run it aground, you will find yourself in a fool’s paradise, where you do evil and expect to reap good.
How to Keep Your Conscience Alive
- Realize that you have a choice to make about maintaining a good conscience, so empower it as your moral policeman.
- The next time you get that inner check, realize that it was your moral aide-de-camp, and cooperate with it. In the words of H. L. Mencken, “Conscience is a mother-in-law whose visit never ends.”
- Understand that your conscience gives signals like a security system in two ways: vertically, between you and your creator, and horizontally, on affairs concerning you and other people.
- You need to be prompt to respond when you get the red flags.
- Always recalibrate your conscience with proven or time-tested standards and good values.
- Feed your heart with the right kind of information; do not be exposed to corrupting influences.
In the words of Adam Smith, “What can be added to the happiness of a man who is in health, out of debt, and has a clear conscience?” You have a choice to make between a morally sound conscience and a corrupt one.
I remain committed to adding value to you. If you love what you read, let me know; also share it with another value-loving person or platform like you. You should likewise reach out if you would love to book a corporate training session on teamwork attitude optimization, leadership sustainability, corporate culture creation, exceptional customer service, or personal character development coaching.
Enjoy the rest of your week!
