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Current Events » in reply to Worst Definition of Conscience I've Ever Seen

You misunderstand (I hope)
Robert — (archived)

Holding a belief shared with the majority doesn't require the exercize of conscience, because there's nothing to exercize--the status quo is already acceptable, thus no change is required, thus no action is required to effect change. There's nothing to speak out against, which is the conventional form of exercize of conscience.

Conscience only comes to the fore, that is becomes noticeable, when its exercize involves disagreement with the majority. The concept of exercizing one's conscience carries with it connotations of rebellion, of a certain loneliness of the individual going against the wishes and beliefs of the group.

Beliefs of conscience that conform to the majority view are logically suspect, because one can legitimately wonder whether those beliefs are based truly on conscience, or instead on the desire for the comfort of fitting-in with the group, and gaining its approval and welcome. In other words, there's no price to pay for going along with the majority, and often rewards; while contrarian expressions of conscience almost always provoke some penalty, ranging from societal disapproval at best all the way to punishment and death in some societies. Expressing one's conscience in the face of the threat of punishment and penalty takes courage and conviction, and these are testimony to the sincerity of the beliefs.

No pain, no gain; TANSTAAFL. Conscience is by definition something whose exercize costs, sometimes dearly.

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