"Thus conscience does make cowards of us all"
I love Shakespeare. I will boldly, and proudly admit that his words bring with them hours of contemplation--discovering knew perspectives on life is one thing that brings me incredible, almost indescribable joy. This phrase has resonated within me for weeks, and it seems to always be begging for deep and thorough analysis. So, congratulations, my mind is now about to embark on expressing the personal meaning and application of this centuries old phrase; one just as accurate now as it was then.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines conscience as "the part of the mind that makes you aware of your actions as being either morally right or wrong". Unfortunately, the true definition is far more ambiguous than it appears. Yes, there's the general ideas of right and wrong--but when issues become less drastic, the ethical decision becomes harder to define. Everyone's personal opinions make it easier to obfuscate the clear "moral" forms of action. Within my own life, my "moral code" which comes into action when I deal and associate with other people, is vastly different from many other people. I genuinely believe that my actions are advantageous, yet I often find out that simply isn't accurate.
For example, my self-destructive schema, one I've mentioned on this blog many times and have been struggling for years in order to correct, believes it to be best if I were to pull myself away from those who claim to have love for me--my flawed mind genuinely believes this is the "right" thing to do, because it seems to be the most beneficial outcome. Now, mind you, I am aware of this flaw, and so most of the time I am able to prevent it from slipping into my actual actions, however, more often than I would like, it allows itself to poison relationships. I hate it, but if it's my innate sense of what is right, how does one change it? Is it even possible?
This is all fine and good, Saydee, but please bring this back to Hamlet. How does conscience make us cowards?
Most of us aren't struggling with the task of avenging the murder of our fathers, therefore, we don't have to weigh our conscience over what we have been asked to do--at least not explicitly. In my own personal life, I have found that my conscience makes me a coward in the sense that I refrain from doing things that would make me happy. We are cowards in the little tasks of life because of what this "conscience" has determined to be correct forms of action. "I love you"s are withheld due to the fear of it being "wrong" to say it too early, services are withheld because it is viewed as "wrong" to interfere with someone's life. This is what society has done. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, but I know many circumstances in which this happens. The fear of our actions being "wrong" keeps us from living a life of love.
I wish I could better articulate the processes circulating through my mind--this is such a real thing to me, yet I cannot accurately communicate it. I believe one of the most recurrent flaw in the conscience of humankind is that it is found "right" to focus all actions internally, instead of externally. It becomes proper behavior to make ourselves the cynosure of our actions. Thus making us afraid to help someone out because it would negatively impact the amount of time we have to ourselves, or another derivative of action.
Back to my major 'flaw', how does it make me a coward? I withhold apologies because I fear them to come off as annoying. I push others away because I'm afraid to let myself be happy, or I'm afraid that all I will ever do is ruin their lives. I'm afraid of fully investing because my conscience tells me that love is fallacious--it is constantly failing, so it is therefore "wrong" to try to pursue it.
How can conscience be changed? How can I avoid becoming a coward?
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints defines conscience as a "manifestation of the Light of Christ". So, the basic guidelines for what is right and wrong stems back to Jesus Christ. In Preach My Gospel it has a chapter based on developing Christ-like attributes--the basic criterion for developing, or retraining, our conscience. The Christ-like attributes are, as follows: faith, hope, charity and love, virtue, knowledge, patience, humility, diligence, and obedience. So, when confronted with the opportunity to exercise your own moral agency ask yourself what course of action would best demonstrate your knowledge, faith, patience, humility, love, etc. We must let go of the worldly course of action, in order to truly have a pure conscience. As we develop ourselves, our ability to do what is right will naturally ensue.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines conscience as "the part of the mind that makes you aware of your actions as being either morally right or wrong". Unfortunately, the true definition is far more ambiguous than it appears. Yes, there's the general ideas of right and wrong--but when issues become less drastic, the ethical decision becomes harder to define. Everyone's personal opinions make it easier to obfuscate the clear "moral" forms of action. Within my own life, my "moral code" which comes into action when I deal and associate with other people, is vastly different from many other people. I genuinely believe that my actions are advantageous, yet I often find out that simply isn't accurate.
For example, my self-destructive schema, one I've mentioned on this blog many times and have been struggling for years in order to correct, believes it to be best if I were to pull myself away from those who claim to have love for me--my flawed mind genuinely believes this is the "right" thing to do, because it seems to be the most beneficial outcome. Now, mind you, I am aware of this flaw, and so most of the time I am able to prevent it from slipping into my actual actions, however, more often than I would like, it allows itself to poison relationships. I hate it, but if it's my innate sense of what is right, how does one change it? Is it even possible?
This is all fine and good, Saydee, but please bring this back to Hamlet. How does conscience make us cowards?
Most of us aren't struggling with the task of avenging the murder of our fathers, therefore, we don't have to weigh our conscience over what we have been asked to do--at least not explicitly. In my own personal life, I have found that my conscience makes me a coward in the sense that I refrain from doing things that would make me happy. We are cowards in the little tasks of life because of what this "conscience" has determined to be correct forms of action. "I love you"s are withheld due to the fear of it being "wrong" to say it too early, services are withheld because it is viewed as "wrong" to interfere with someone's life. This is what society has done. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, but I know many circumstances in which this happens. The fear of our actions being "wrong" keeps us from living a life of love.
I wish I could better articulate the processes circulating through my mind--this is such a real thing to me, yet I cannot accurately communicate it. I believe one of the most recurrent flaw in the conscience of humankind is that it is found "right" to focus all actions internally, instead of externally. It becomes proper behavior to make ourselves the cynosure of our actions. Thus making us afraid to help someone out because it would negatively impact the amount of time we have to ourselves, or another derivative of action.
Back to my major 'flaw', how does it make me a coward? I withhold apologies because I fear them to come off as annoying. I push others away because I'm afraid to let myself be happy, or I'm afraid that all I will ever do is ruin their lives. I'm afraid of fully investing because my conscience tells me that love is fallacious--it is constantly failing, so it is therefore "wrong" to try to pursue it.
How can conscience be changed? How can I avoid becoming a coward?
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints defines conscience as a "manifestation of the Light of Christ". So, the basic guidelines for what is right and wrong stems back to Jesus Christ. In Preach My Gospel it has a chapter based on developing Christ-like attributes--the basic criterion for developing, or retraining, our conscience. The Christ-like attributes are, as follows: faith, hope, charity and love, virtue, knowledge, patience, humility, diligence, and obedience. So, when confronted with the opportunity to exercise your own moral agency ask yourself what course of action would best demonstrate your knowledge, faith, patience, humility, love, etc. We must let go of the worldly course of action, in order to truly have a pure conscience. As we develop ourselves, our ability to do what is right will naturally ensue.
"And thus the native hue of resolution/ Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,/ And enterprises of great pith and moment/ With this regard their currents turn awry,/ And lose the name of action." While beautiful in terms of rhetoric, the practical application of such a statement is false--at least at first. In order to change and develop our conscience, we must stop and think about what the Christ-like choice of action would be. However, as our ability to distinguish sharpens, Hamlet's words hold true. Don't stop and think too long, don't allow yourself to second guess your actions and choices; if we over-think, we lose our ability to clearly view the black and white. Options become a muddled grey and it becomes far too easy to make an incorrect choice. In all things, this simple statement holds true: be like Christ and choose the right.
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