I have to disagree. Getting caught rarely enters my mind. Feeling guilty, or thinking I can hurt someone is what has more bearing for me.
"Conscience is no more than the fear of being caught," wrote Angela Marsons. Was she right? How do you feel about that?
I totally disagree.
My conscience speaks to me .. Loudly. I choose to do or not to do things because of how it makes ME feel .. Not for fear of 'getting caught'.
As a crime fiction writer, she is free to define her words In situ....
But her definition is no more useful than an equivocation.
This definition allows more insight upon contemplation:
Conscience is the last judgment of one's practical intellect before one acts.
No, I think there's more to it than that. The author cheapens it a bit.
Conscience is in play when you do something in the right --or moral-- way because you won't accept less of yourself.
I won't break the chain of good consciences. Sometimes, I wish I was like millions who just don't give a dam who they hurt. But unfortunately I do care about people.
I disagree as well. "Conscience" does not have to just be "bad" things to have one. There are "good" ones to. If I give a cheese burger to a hungry man my conscience says get him an orange juice as well or get him two burgers just in case. I am never afraid of getting caught like that. Two very different things!
Nope, that statement seems too easy or a pat answer. I am so much more complicated than that. I am much harder on myself to ever care about being caught. I'm more afraid of not being able to look myself in a mirror. Being afraid of being caught is far less of a consequence, I have to live with myself.
I definitely agree with her. A honest person is able to maintain a clear conscience. He does not have to ‘live a lie,’ only pretending to act with honesty. Nor does he have to worry about being caught in some dishonest practice. No sleepless nights for him on that account!
It has a clever ring to it, but it falls very short of the mark ... At least for me. If I've done something less than honorable, I will agonize over it until I make it right - even if nobody will ever know.
I agree with everyone else's answers ...but sometimes that statement can be true : Last week I called in sick from work for three days and said I had the flu ..cos I wanted to take a last minute road trip. One morning I called from the hotel phone and realized I fooked up cos the number would come up as long distance ....I was a wreck Sunday night , thinking my boss would call me out on it ... And I felt aweful about my lie ... Monday came and everything was fine :) so now I don't feel bad about my lie at all :)