Dads stories

A good conscience is a soft pillow!

Wow! Here you are running against a few principles! Exactly what I had hoped for. I will gladly ask my conscience (what is that?) and continue the discussion. The "what is that" was only a silly question, the likes of which immediately appear in my brain when things become difficult! I will also gladly answer all questions your young people pose.
Of course the brain has nothing to do with the conscience, or has it! Thoughts are not necessarily tied to the conscience. The conscience appears in the form of "what an arsehole you were then", and one feels exactly as depressed like last time, right back to when the "conscience" brought up this faux-pas the very first time. My reaction to that is usually "shut up, you idiot" because it is useless to rehash this dirty washing again and again. And then comes the warning from within "This "idiot" wasn't necesary. You must show bit of love and respect for yourself". And then once again your conscience beats you up! I wonder if dogs and horses also suffer from this? Charly (our labradoodle) definately has a conscience. If he suffers under it, is a second question. When he puts his tail between his legs, he definately has something to hide. Of course, he can't see it himself, since the tail is at the wrong end, otherwise he would probably control himself and instead show us his tounge and a loyal grin, the rascal.
Conscience. Does his conscience trouble the pilot when he thinks of the hundreds of bombs he let drop over a city and with that extinguished the lives of thousands of people or foisted on them years of suffering? Is that why each year they march around the heroes, to maintain that these actions were not evil, but heroic, and with this to hope that their consciences are freed? Would the pilot who dropped that bomb onto Hiroshima also be paraded around and presented to the people as a hero, if not in the meantime he had ended up in a mental institute, or like here, took his own life? Do we know how many returning soldiers via their conscience and their memories end up mentally ill and waste away? Or simply take their own life like a friend of mine?
And that continues on from generation to generation through the centuries!
But your questions was somewhat different. Your question re does the conscience decide before an action? That is obviously something different to the conscience that plagues us afterwards und should really have a different name. I will mull this over, a very interesting question.
I hadn't intended to answer your letter at this stage. Hedwig and I have been making biscuits for Christmas until 4am. But at 6am Hedwig was still up, she couldn't sleep. Now she sleeps the sleep of the just. A good conscience is a soft pillow! Oh God. Now you reminded me of something!
I will answer your letter later. All the best and many thanks.

posted by Inge @ 12:10 am