IS YOUR CONSCIENCE TRUSTWORTHY?

It is well known that people through all times and places report that they are able to be informed by their conscience. People who receive this type of guidance most often place it above all other forms of knowledge. Some are so trusting and so dedicated to this knowledge that they will forfeit their life rather than to violate their conscience. It is rooted in the deepest of feelings as well as intellect.
A problem with this kind of knowledge is that it does not give the same answers to all people. Listening to one’s conscience may cause person A to flee and person B to fight. Is there a way to reconcile these opposite responses both based on conscience? If you are to trust your own conscience it would be well to understand these contradictions between what conscience tells different people. Can this problem be resolved?
A most straightforward answer is that what is absolutely right for person A may be absolutely wrong for person B based on differences in the persons, the time, and the circumstances. This is due to context and is not to be confused with relativism. This does not mean that there is no absolute truth and that all is relative to each person’s conscience.  It means that each person receives assurance that they are acting according to their conscience even though the answer may not be the same as that received by someone else. This indeed is a complex question. But to live free and gain true self-understanding you cannot ignore  your  conscience.

DO YOU REALLY HAVE A CONSCIENCE?

Throughout the centuries scholars have talked about conscience. Sometimes it has been called moral sensitivity, an inner knowledge, or a voice that identifies right and wrong, good and bad. In the twentieth century, it has been associated with religion, but even secular humanists refer to conscience; as do political and social theorists. It seems to be an accepted distinct and universal attribute. For social psychologists, conscience refers to the natural almost inescapable learning of social norms   In philosophical discussions of ethics an innate capacity to recognize and  directly  know  good and bad, right and wrong is frequently proposed.
In the writings of E.O. Wilson, the famous contemporary evolutionary biologist, there is an excellent account of how moral sensitivity or altruism has a genetic basis. Conscience is thus a part of our biological makeup.  So now you see that it is also important that you come to some conclusion about whether you believe you have a conscience. If you do, then you can use your conscience to better understand yourself and others. With use it will become extremely important. Furthermore, you will want to be a person of conscience.

WHO BEST UNDERSTANDS YOU?

When I asked my students, “Who knows you best?” They do not say, “My therapist.” First mentioned is, “Mother,” secondly, “Father.” Mothers and fathers are examples of someone who has served them, shared their life or loved them daily in simple ways. They are not people who are particularly astute in knowing laws and abstractions about human behavior. They are people who have served, lived, and shared a world together. 
When studying the early existentialists, Martin Heidegger (1889-1976) and Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855), I came to appreciate  a new way to look at knowledge. These two existentialists  pointed out a subjective type of knowing that is more fundamental, than a scientific analysis or what Kierkegaard calls objective truth.  This experiential type of knowing is the most important way to find meaning in both material objects and ourselves. The example of mothers being the person who best understand you illustrates this insight.
So to truly understand another person, you need to do things like: eat together, work on a job, share stories, take care of one another when sick, and live with each other in a loving, serving, and unselfish way.  Does this not tell you about another way to truly understand yourself and other people?  This conclusion is just the opposite of what we usually think about when looking to understand our-selves. 
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It is the New Year

This post was written by Dena Jensen

 I like making goals and New Years Resolutions are not different. I like tracking my progression and I like the feeling I get when those goals are accomplished.

    I felt it appropriate that I write about my experiences with goal setting.

 There are some things I learned about goal setting, and this is all trial and error.

Keep your goals Clear and Simple.   The more complex your goal is, the more difficult to reach. It does not mean you can not obtain that goal, but, rather, you need to have little steps to get to the finish line. So, start off with the little simpler goals to get you through to the big goals.

Have a Clear Vision of your goal. I call it a Clear Vision. I don't know what you want to call it, but think of this. Think if you were in a car with a heavy rain storm and you need to turn on the windshield wipers to see your way. That is your clear vision. I say visualize yourself with that goal accomplished, and visualize what you are doing with your goals.  If it is getting fit, find a picture of a person running, and tape it to your refrigerator. Whatever your goal is, have a Clear Vision of your goal.

Surround yourself with Positive people and think good thoughts about yourself, and your goals.

 I have found when I have people that are positive source of energy in my life, things are easier and better and I feel like I can accomplish things better.

Keep a Goal Journal. This will help you track your goal and you can see on paper your improvements. Write your feelings and thoughts and write things that have inspired you to reach your goals. write your frustrations with your set back in the goal, and write your gratitude towards people that have helped you reach your goal.

Keep a P.M.A.    I call it P.M.A  Positive Mental Attitude. This one can be hard sometimes. In my humble opinion this one is the hardest for me. I say that because sometimes outside forces whether it be work, peers,and life... Happens. And, we can easily get discouraged and sometimes things look like the odds are against us. I have adopted the attitude that Nothing is Impossible. Things might be improbable, but not impossible. How do we keep a PMA? I know when things get hard or stressful for me, I watch funny movies, I look for humor. Humor has been my release. I also find myself surrounding myself with people that I trust that give me encouragement. I have a good family support and good friends. Find good people to support you emotionally

Never Never Never Give up. There are many stories of Athletes that have accomplished the impossible, and You can do it too.  One man I really really admired growing up was a simple man. He was not famous, and he was small in stature. But, he was a great man in my opinion. He had two words on his desk for years and years. Two words. "Do It" This man was loved by man people. He was a good family man and was always good and honest to all he came in to contact with. I recall "Do It" because I think about that when I feel like I have a hard time reaching my own goals.

    Now, I know that writing this seems easier than actually doing your goals. If you do not accomplish any this year, hey, don't get yourself down about it. Whatever your goals are, whatever you accomplish this year, may it be your best, happiest and joyful year yet.

HOW DO WE LEARN ABOUT OURSELVES?

Bertrand Russell (1872-1970), philosopher of science, explains that the color, texture, and shape of a table may be very different from what we actually receive thru the senses and yet we always know it to be the same table. We usually admire the man who says, “Show me or prove it to me first.” Prove it, usually means provide evidence that is sensory.
 And yet, there are many times in our existence where we must act without this kind of sensory knowledge to survive and to prosper. We sometimes need to make conclusions based on reasoning and circumstantial evidence. We need to be aware that our hard to observe feelings are also part of reality.  Un-observables can, do, and should guide us. Thus, while a high level of observable objectivity is of great value, it alone cannot answer life’s questions about our  spirit, feelings, and emotions. Sometimes we must make subjective judgments in the absence of sensory data. It is necessary to add reasoning and other methods of knowing to go beyond what we observe.