The concept of conscience includes a person’s internal assessment of his own behavior for compliance with moral principles and norms. This is a kind of analysis of one’s actions and thoughts from a critical point of view.
To varying degrees of development, a sense of conscience is inherent in every person. This confirms that the moral component is an integral part of a full-fledged personality. As Leo Tolstoy said:
Conscience is the memory of society, assimilated by an individual
Possessing this quality allows a person to put himself in the place of others and respect their feelings and experiences. Conscience is formed on the basis of knowledge acquired by a person about moral standards. Based on this knowledge, ideas about good and evil, bad and good are formed.
There are several components that the concept of conscience includes:
- the ability to honestly and objectively evaluate one’s actions, feelings, thoughts,
- own internal rules, formed on the basis of the moral norms of society,
- a sense of responsibility for every action taken and word spoken,
- the ability to control oneself and restrain oneself within the framework of generally accepted rules.
How does a person feel guilty?
From childhood, every person is instilled with moral and moral principles that are accepted in society. Without this, it is impossible to imagine normal socialization of the individual. When an action, word or thought diverges from these rules laid down from an early age, a feeling of dissatisfaction with oneself inevitably appears.
You can read: A complete list of human feelings and emotions
A person finds it difficult to bear the fact that he could not live up to his inner beliefs. A negative assessment of one’s behavior and worry about the consequences are called guilt. Thus, the appearance of guilt is directly related to the fact that a person deeply regrets what he has done.
What are the main forms of guilt?
In psychology, it is customary to distinguish three main forms of guilt.
Reasonable guilt
It arises when a perfect act really diametrically diverges from the norms of morality and morality. A person pays for a past mistake with worries and anxiety.
This is a kind of vaccination against similar actions in the future. A person realizes that he did something wrong, that it caused pain or harm to someone, and begins to regret what he did. In this way he receives atonement for his negative behavior.
Existential guilt
To better understand its essence, you can divide this form into 3 options.
1. A person regrets what he did not do in his life. This is due to unrealized potential, missed opportunities, unwillingness or fear to change the future. From time to time, such sensations arise in every person and ideally they should become an impetus for active actions to improve the existing reality.
2. A person regrets that he spends little time with his family or loved ones. This can also be expressed in experiences associated with a lack of mutual understanding. In this case, you need to realize that relatives cannot stay nearby all your life. In any case, they will be forced to spend some time separately, but this is not a tragedy.
3. A person regrets that he does not understand the Divine plan. He is depressed by the withdrawal into routine and daily bustle and the inability to fully understand the meaning of his existence and the principles of building the world.
Unreasonable guilt
Regardless of what actually happened, a person cultivates a feeling of guilt inside. He shifts responsibility for other people's actions onto himself, exaggerates his own mistakes, is embarrassed to be happy, to stand out, to attract attention. Often it is this form of guilt that turns into neurotic disorders, which must be dealt with under the supervision of specialists.
More information about the types of guilt in the video:
Conscience as a transcendence of the spiritual unconscious
In his famous works “Man’s Search for Meaning” and “The Subconscious God,” Viktor Frankl formulates the ultimate goal of existential analysis as a teaching whose ultimate goal is to lead a person to an awareness of responsibility for his existence.
“Being responsible” is the thesis underlying V. Frankl’s psychotherapy. On the other hand, to be responsible means to correlate your actions with the demands of your conscience. Frankl made significant changes and developed the understanding of the unconscious, including in its composition, in addition to subconscious instinctivity, such an important component as the “spiritual unconscious.” He showed that conscience, as a phenomenon underlying the existence of every person, goes back to the unconscious genetically. True decisions that determine the value of human existence from the point of view of existential analysis are always made unconsciously and reflexively.
Frankl calls conscience, as a product of the spiritual unconscious and an expression of its transcendence, “The Subconscious God.” And in this sense, the starting point for the analysis of conscience as a transcendental phenomenon can be the aphorism he used: “Be the master of your will and the slave of your conscience.”
As Viktor Frankl said: “Just as there is a pre-logical knowledge of being, there is also a pre-moral comprehension of values, which fundamentally precedes any morality. This is our conscience."
Thus, if only existing things are open to our consciousness, our conscience has access to “possibility, not reality,” that which does not yet exist, but must exist as a moral necessity. “Spiritual anticipation,” as a manifestation of conscience that we sense, is revealed intuitively in the act of contemplation.
Why are people tormented by their conscience?
If conscience is a tool for self-control and evaluation of one’s actions, then it is precisely it that helps a person realize that one of the actions he has committed does not correspond to his concept of morality. The individual arranges a trial of himself and pronounces a sentence on himself. In this case, it all depends on character traits. Someone, even having committed an objectively negative act, will not worry about this for long and his moral torment will quickly fade away.
Others, on the contrary, tend to dramatize. They deliberately screw themselves up and mentally inflate the scale of their mistake. Moral torment gradually develops into depression and a feeling of self-hatred.
In the dictionary D.N. Ushakova
CONSCIENCE, conscience, plural. no, female Internal assessment, internal consciousness of the morality of one’s actions, a sense of morality for one’s behavior. “Nothing can calm us down among worldly sorrows; nothing, nothing... except conscience.” Pushkin. “My conscience has never gnawed at me.” Pushkin. “Burning reproaches of conscience stung him like needles.” Goncharov. “They forgot timidity and sorrow, and drove away conscience.” Pushkin. Peace of mind. Conscience doesn't allow it. Remorse. Put your conscience to sleep. Act according to your conscience. Do you have a conscience? (Aren't you ashamed). There is no shame, no conscience. Without a twinge of conscience (see twinge). • ***** responsibility, without paperwork (·obsolete). Take money conscientiously. Not out of fear, but out of conscience - quite conscientiously. “Work for the common good not out of fear, but out of conscience.” Mayakovsky. According to conscience or speaking (to say) according to conscience (introductory word; colloquial) - speaking frankly, sincerely. “In all honesty, she doesn’t value anyone.” Griboyedov. “Besides a freshly washed shirt, I’ll tell you in all honesty, I don’t need anything.” Mayakovsky. In good conscience (colloquial) - the same as in good conscience. Freedom of conscience (political) - the absence of restrictions in the practice of any religion or in the renunciation of religion. “All citizens are recognized as having freedom of conscience and freedom of anti-religious propaganda.” History of the CPSU(b). With a clear conscience - completely calm. I can say with a clear conscience.
What does the concept of “conscience” mean?
There are 3 approaches to the concept of conscience:
- religious,
- psychological,
- philistine.
They differ in motives and meaning attached to this word. It is necessary to become more familiar with all three meanings.
Decoding the concept
From the point of view of religion, conscience is the presence of God or a particle of the Universe in a person. Many religions attribute conscience to the spiritual “instincts” of a person. It is he who helps distinguish good from bad. In religion, synonyms for the word “conscience” are heart and soul.
From a psychological point of view, conscience is a person’s critical consideration of his actions and thoughts. Each individual has his own criteria that cannot be crossed. Very often society has a great influence on conscience.
From a common point of view, conscience is an inner voice that prohibits doing bad and wrong. The stronger a person’s will, the more the seeds of conscience sprout in him.
Conscience is a human volitional mechanism that forms moral and moral principles. This quality refrains him from bad deeds (theft, lies, hypocrisy). Conscience fosters moral principles and makes spiritual preparation for the temptations of the outside world.
When a person goes against his formed beliefs, he begins to be tormented by remorse. His internal controller “eats” him and forces him to admit what he has done.
The development of conscience is determined by the collective life of human individuals and the formation of intelligence. This is a noticeable difference between humans and all other species of living organisms. They have a great achievement - they are endowed with the ability to think. Animals don't feel remorse because they don't have one. They live according to the laws of the herd or pack, and all their actions are determined by instincts.
What does it mean to “act according to your conscience”?
To act according to conscience is to behave in accordance with the moral principles accepted in society. However, in addition to the public, a person has a personal self-awareness. Before committing an act, he considers it from the perspective of both personal and social consciousness. That is why sometimes the boundaries can move apart. One person may consider some action unacceptable, but for another it will become the norm.
An example would be a person who drinks constantly. He appears drunk in public places, seeing nothing wrong with it. In contrast, the average individual will be very embarrassed and ashamed to remember going to the store while drunk. The same example applies to noisy teenagers swearing in public places. This is normal for them, and a well-mannered adult would be ashamed to behave this way.
Based on this, we can understand that each person is primarily guided by his own value system. A person will not cause a feeling of shame in another if their life guidelines do not coincide.
It's time to understand the concept of an "unscrupulous person." How should one behave in order to fall within the framework of this definition? What moral principles should we follow?
Who is an unscrupulous person?
Unscrupulous person – having distinctively bad qualities of internal morality. He acts badly towards others without even thinking about the harm he causes. Unscrupulous people have no internal limitations, paying no attention to the inconvenience of others.
Distinctive signs of an unscrupulous person:
- Excessive selfishness. Such an individual thinks only about himself, acting to the detriment of those around him.
- Lies, attempts to shield oneself. An unscrupulous person does not see the offense in lying and tries to avoid deserved punishment.
- Searching for your benefit. Such a person will not miss the opportunity to receive material benefits undeservedly.
- Hypocrisy. Unscrupulous people will not express negative opinions about the person they want. Selfish goals make them fawn and fawn.
Spiritual unconscious and conscience
Based on the understanding proposed by Frankl, the spiritual aspect in a person manifests itself both on a conscious and unconscious level. This understanding formed the basis of logotherapy, as spiritual psychotherapy.
Frankl calls conscience, as a product of the spiritual unconscious and an expression of its transcendence, “The Subconscious God.” And in this sense, the starting point for the analysis of conscience, as a transcendental phenomenon that determines the true existence of a person, can be the aphorism of A. Dumas: “Be the master of your will and the slave of your conscience.”
In order for us to understand what the spiritual unconscious is, Viktor Frankl suggests using the method of dream analysis. It is in dreams, he is sure, that the voice of conscience and a person’s unconscious deep religiosity are most clearly manifested. The subconscious God, manifesting himself as the voice of conscience, is hidden in each of us and has nothing to do with the institution of the church and belonging to any denomination. Therefore, according to Frankl, each person is religious in his own way, and this deeply personalized religiosity manifests itself as conscience, at the level of the ability to realize responsibility for one’s existence.
What to do if your conscience is tormented by nonsense
From early childhood, parents try to instill a sense of conscience in their children. Because of diligence and “overreaching”, adults are guided not only by it. An excessive sense of guilt and fear of condemnation develops in children's minds. It is difficult for a person with such a set to refuse help and support to the people around him. He is driven not by an inner desire to help, but by an exaggerated conscience and a sense of shame.
Very often, an individual understands that he is worried and “gnawing” at himself because of nonsense, but he cannot help himself. A person is controlled by an overly educated and shameful part of the mind. How to help yourself in this situation? Here's the plan:
- Recognize the problem.
- Analyze your behavior.
- Remove negative emotions from yourself.
- Return to a normal state of mind.
Firstly, a person who is tormented by nonsense must realize the scale of the tragedy. He needs to clearly understand that this is not a serious reason for mental suffering. Without awareness of the problem, there will be no competent healing from an exaggerated conscience.
Secondly, a person must evaluate his behavior from the outside. Maybe he was manipulated? Or is it used by several people, deliberately putting pressure on feelings of guilt? It is worth analyzing the problem by asking for help from a really close person. If necessary, you need to contact a psychologist and talk to him.
Thirdly, you need to fully realize your innocence in this situation. You need to order your conscience not to pay attention to the little things and move on with your life calmly. Very often, an effort of will helps to shift attention to other things. If this is not enough, you need to seek help from a competent specialist.
Fourthly, it’s worth asking yourself one simple question: “Why am I torturing myself?” Maybe the reason is self-punishment, and pangs of conscience are just an excuse? Understand yourself.
In Dahl's dictionary
and. moral consciousness, moral sense or feeling in a person; inner consciousness of good and evil; the secret place of the soul, in which approval or condemnation of every action is echoed; the ability to recognize the quality of an action; a feeling that encourages truth and goodness, turning away from lies and evil; involuntary love for good and truth; innate truth, in varying degrees of development. Conscience is timid until you silence it. You can hide it from a person, but you cannot hide it from your conscience (from God). Conscience torments, consumes, torments or kills. Remorse. He who has a clear conscience does not have a pillow under his head. Toothless, but conscience will devour (or eat) the bones. Do it according to your conscience, honestly. We became conscientious, mutually relying on it. Take what is conscientious, your moral answer. This is on my conscience; I recognize myself as a debtor, obligated to do something. You also need to know your conscience; there is a measure for everything. Conscience attacked the pig, just as it tasted the log! He has a bag of conscience: put whatever you want. A good conscience is the eye of God (voice of God). The face is crooked, but the conscience is straight. Conscience doesn't let me sleep. You can’t sew a conscience to a caftan (to leather). The rich man does not buy his conscience, but destroys his own. Where there is shame, there is conscience (and fear). For those who do not have a clear conscience, the shadow of a poker is the gallows! The eyes are the measure, the soul is the faith, the conscience is the guarantee. Conscientious, related to conscience. A conscientious matter subject to the court of conscience, and not civil law. Conscientious court, an institution where a certain range of controversial cases are dealt with according to the conscience of judges. | A conscientious or conscientious person, conscientious, honest, always acting according to his conscience. Well, aren’t you ashamed of people, aren’t you ashamed, aren’t you afraid of shame, submission. He did his job conscientiously. I'm ashamed to bother you. Conscientiousness, conscientiousness, quality, property and condition according to adj. To conscience of someone, to admonish, to shame, to make someone feel ashamed, to try to bring to consciousness of a wrongdoing and to repentance. -sya, to endure reproaches of conscience as a result of a bad deed, or to be ashamed, to recognize one’s guilt, one’s sin, and to repent of oneself, to regret and be annoyed with oneself. What is there to have a conscience for those who have no conscience! He will be ashamed to show himself. Having embarked on all the difficult things, he lost his conscience and was exhausted. When I was full, then I became ashamed. At least you would have some conscience! They reassured him and confessed.
Why are women more often tormented by their conscience than men?
Women love to push themselves into limits, think about decency and demand ideal behavior from themselves. The beautiful half of humanity suffers much more often because of morals and principles. What is the problem of too strongly developed conscience in women?
Reasons for conscientiousness in women:
- Emotionality.
- Upbringing.
- Social requirements.
Firstly, women have much more developed emotionality, unlike men. They may worry about a wrong look or word. By nature, they suffer more due to minor problems. For the most part, women listen to emotions without paying attention to dry facts.
Secondly, when raising women, much more demands are made than the stronger sex. They must be able to cook, wash, clean, speak and be silent. If a woman cannot become a good housewife, then the subconscious will reproach her. An internal conflict is created. Of course, not every nervous system can withstand such pressure.
Thirdly, society demands enormous, virtually impossible feats from women. A woman should give birth, look good, build a career and be an excellent housewife. But how to combine this is not clear. Society does not help solve the situation, but only aggravates it.
Arguments
“War and Peace” by L. N. Tolstoy
. Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy's epic novel “War and Peace” is a truly significant work of Russian classical literature. It seems that in it you can find examples on any topic, arguments for any life situations. The problem of conscience also did not go unnoticed. The most striking episode, which confirms the idea that conscience is necessary for every noble and moral person, is the moment when Nikolai Rostov loses a large sum of money at cards at a time when his family is experiencing financial difficulties. The young man is excellently brought up, he has his own moral guidelines, and the concept of morality is not alien to him. And therefore, an internal conflict instantly flares up in his soul - fear and conscience are fighting. The first seeks to drown out the feeling of guilt, to find a way to solve the problem without telling family anything. The second stands on the side of truth, honesty and sincerity. Conscience prompts the hero to confess what he has done to his parents. He is truly ashamed in front of them, he is well aware of his mistake and repents of his action. The reader understands this when Nikolai hears his sister Natasha Rostova singing and playing the piano. Music associated with childhood, with goodness, with family, awakens the moral nature in the hero, makes the voice of conscience louder. True art and excellent upbringing helped Nikolai Rostov remain an honest and noble man, who found the strength to admit his guilt and talk about his wrong action. If he had not had a conscience, Nikolai would not have found the right way out of this situation and would probably have ruined his relationship with his family.
"Chelkash" M. Gorky.
Maxim Gorky's story "Chelkash" is based on an antithesis. That is, on the opposition of two heroes. “An inveterate drunkard and a clever, brave thief” Grisha Chelkash meets a poor peasant guy Gavrila. The first one just needed an accomplice for a new crime, because his old comrade Mishka ended up in the hospital. At night, new acquaintances make a deal “successfully” - if one can express it in such a way regarding illegal actions. But there is a problem with how to divide the profits. Gavrila was not satisfied with the share that Chelkash gave him. Greed and greed drowned out the voice of conscience in the soul of the peasant youth. After peaceful requests and even pleas were unsuccessful, he threw a stone at Grisha. At first, the fear of what he had done clouded the traitor’s already unclear mind - he forgot about the money. But thoughts about them very soon prompted him to justify the monstrous act: who would regret the thief, who needs him? But Gavrila will manage her money wisely. But these arguments did not convince Chelkash. It was too late to ask for forgiveness - Grisha spat in the traitor’s face and, looking at him contemptuously, threw the money. M. Gorky managed, with the help of antithesis, to clearly and clearly show that Chelkash has a conscience. Despite the fact that he has to survive by stealing, he has not lost the main thing - humanity and morality. Greed did not cloud his eyes. The voice of morality in him sounds louder than greed, so he throws the money and leaves, leaving the would-be killer alone with self-interest. This is what Gavrila's lack of conscience leads to: he humbly collects money for which he almost committed a mortal sin. It is the voice of morality that helps people maintain dignity and behave correctly.
“The Death of an Official” by A. P. Chekhov
. In the story “The Death of an Official,” Anton Pavlovich Chekhov masterfully painted a hyperbolic picture. The reader gets to know Mr. Chervyakov. At first it seems that he is extremely well-mannered, polite and respects moral standards. However, later it becomes clear that his numerous apologies to his boss, on whom he accidentally sneezed in the theater, are not at all polite and sincere regret for such an unpleasant incident. In fact, it is only the fear of punishment or even dismissal, loss of rank and position. Chervyakov does not listen to his conscience. After all, in this case, one sincere apology would be enough. Thus, A.P. Chekhov illustrated a false understanding of conscience and morality.
“Matryonin’s yard” by A. I. Solzhenitsyn
. A striking example of the lack of conscience can be found in the work of Alexander Isaevich Solzhenitsyn “Matryonin’s Dvor”. The main character, the righteous Matryona, selflessly helps all her neighbors, acquaintances and even strangers. She happily comes to the rescue, often forgetting about her own convenience and desires. However, in return she does not receive not only reciprocity, but even the slightest help. When Matryona gets sick or simply has difficulty coping with some difficult task alone, no one lends her a shoulder or gives her a hand. A kind, sincere and moral woman turns out to be very lonely in reality. Even those to whom Matryona has rendered service more than once do not come to the rescue. Unfortunately, good does not always respond well. However, the main character was not stopped by the lack of conscience among those around her, because she was raised differently. Thanks to her own moral guidelines, she does not descend into anger, resentment, revenge, and also does not become like dishonest people who do not come to help in return. Matryona still truly loves helping others. She lives according to her conscience, in contrast to her surroundings, which is why the author calls her a “righteous woman,” without whom life in a wretched and impoverished village would lose all light.
“The Man on the Clock” N. S. Leskov
. In Nikolai Semenovich Leskov’s story “The Man on the Clock,” the reader sees a clash of official duty and human duty. The main character, a soldier of the Izmailovsky regiment Postnikov, was serving as a sentry on the night when he heard cries for help from the darkness. The theme of conscience occupies an important place in this work. Firstly, Postnikov makes a choice in favor of conscience and morality and rushes to the aid of a person in trouble. And this happens despite the fact that the hero faces severe punishment for leaving his post, because he violated the Charter. Secondly, there is another character in the story who lacks a conscience. This is the officer who passed by on a sleigh when Postnikov was saving the man. The officer took credit for this feat and reported it to his superiors. Subsequently, the officer received a reward for an act he did not commit, and Postnikov received a punishment for leaving his post. The emphasis in this work is very clear: Postnikov lives according to his conscience, therefore he saves a person, risking punishment, but the officer is guided only by considerations of profit, therefore he lies to his superiors and, of course, does not save anyone if there is no material interest in this.
“Crime and Punishment” F. M. Dostoevsky.
Where to look for an example on the topic of “conscience”, if not in Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky’s novel “Crime and Punishment”? After all, the main character, Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, burdened his conscience with a terrible crime - he killed an old pawnbroker and her pregnant sister. If Raskolnikov had been morally dead and had no chance to save his soul, then he would not have been tormented by guilt throughout the entire work. The investigation lasted only a few days, but for Rodion they lasted forever. He became very ill and weakened due to the terrible experiences caused by his terrible act. And, in the end, Raskolnikov comes to the realization that he has made a terrible mistake by imagining that he has the right to control someone else’s life. Thus, the hero sincerely repented of his terrible act, because he has a conscience that he listens to. He did not completely lose his moral guidelines, but only temporarily and mistakenly turned away from them. Using his example, each of us will understand exactly why a person is given the feeling of guilt? It helps us correct ourselves and heal our souls, even if we have stumbled and fallen very low.
“The Master and Margarita” M. A. Bulgakov.
In the novel “The Master and Margarita” by Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov, several stories and even worlds are intertwined. In one of them, a hero named Pontius Pilate is forced to judge Yeshua. Pontius Pilate holds the position of Roman procurator. In fact, he understands that the convicted man is not guilty of anything, that his execution will be unfair. However, his title, his rank take precedence over him and over the truth. The verdict has been passed. Yeshua was crucified. The judge is tormented by an endless headache, and what is even worse - by his conscience. For his dishonorable act, Pilate was punished with immortality and eternal torment. However, let us remember the words of Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov himself from the same work: “Manuscripts do not burn.” This means that the truth will forever remain the truth, no matter how hard they try to hide or destroy it. In the end, Pontius Pilate repents of his unjust death sentence and frees his soul from torment. Thus, even a person who has seriously stumbled and violated moral standards has a chance for spiritual salvation if he truly sincerely regrets his mistake and repents and asks for forgiveness. But only people who initially have a conscience are capable of all this. She saves and leads to the right path even those who are led by cowardice - the most terrible vice.
“Conscience is gone” M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin
. Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin is known as a master of satire. More than one satirical tale came from his pen. Much in these works is exaggerated. This was done in order to depict human vices more clearly and clearly. In the work of this outstanding writer there is also a fairy tale dedicated to the feeling of guilt - “Conscience Is Lost.” In the story, people actually lost their conscience. But no one cares about this - there is no conscience anymore, why worry? Someone begins to deceive, someone plots intrigues, someone slanders, someone flatters - unscrupulous people begin to regularly commit terrible acts and harm each other. But the worst thing is that no one cares. After all, there is no longer a conscience that makes you think, think about others, reminds you of the norms of morality and morality. The author himself writes about what happened like this: “The annoying ghosts disappeared, and with them the moral turmoil that the accusatory conscience brought with it subsided.” For some time, conscience was lying around like an unnecessary old rag - everyone threw it away, not wanting to take it for themselves. But one day she fell into the hands of a drunkard. And an amazing metamorphosis happened to him: he sobered up, he realized how many mistakes and dishonest acts he had committed before, he instantly felt the full burden of responsibility for his actions. He felt so sad and sad that he began to cry. The drunkard hastened to get rid of his conscience. After a short journey through people of different ranks and titles, conscience finally found a home in the heart of a child. Now she grows up with the baby, helps him make decisions and live honestly. Thus, conscience is an important component of human nature and human life. Without her, the world plunges into the darkness of treachery, violence, lies and dishonor. Therefore, conscience must be cultivated from childhood, because none of us wants to live in such a world.
“Hero of Our Time” M. Yu. Lermontov
. The main character of Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov’s novel “Hero of Our Time” is Grigory Aleksandrovich Pechorin. In literature, this character is called the “extra person.” He was fed up with life. Any activity seems boring to him and cannot occupy the hero for a long time. In his internal monologue, Pechorin admits that he feels like “an ax in the hands of fate,” which brings only pain, sadness and disappointment to the people around him. One of the brightest episodes is the story with Bela. Pechorin's selfish desires and actions destroy the poor girl. At first it seems to the reader that Grigory Alexandrovich remains indifferent and cold even after Bela’s death. He didn't shed a single tear. Moreover, he laughed. But it was not at all a malicious laugh or a laugh of fun or contentment. Behind this laughter lies fear and pain. This is how the hero reacts strangely to loss and stress. Subsequently, Pechorin reveals himself better and better to the reader. Then it becomes clear that Grigory Alexandrovich has not completely lost his conscience. Everything that happens brings suffering not only to other people, but also to the hero himself. He is deeply unhappy, but he does not have enough spiritual strength to cope with his boredom and indifferent attitude towards life. However, if we restore the correct chronology of the novel, we will understand that Gregory could not stand the feeling of guilt and went to war in Persia - to die. That’s why he gave away his diary, making it clear to the reader that his life was over. Bela's death tormented him and gave him no peace, so he decided to take such a desperate step. Sometimes conscience can oppress a person too much and harm him
“Poor Liza” N. M. Karamzin.
Turning to the topic of conscience, it is worth paying attention to the story “Poor Liza” by Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin. In particular, how Erast, a young nobleman, reacts to the suicide of the peasant girl Lisa. After all, she threw herself into the water and drowned herself because of Erast’s betrayal. A romance broke out between the young people, they became close, and Erast even promised to marry the girl. But soon the young man announced that he was being drafted into the army. There he squandered all his money, and then married an old rich woman, because he could not imagine life without luxury. And my feelings for Lisa have cooled. When the deception was revealed, the heroine fell into despair and killed herself. However, Erast was not a villain - he was weak-willed, weak, selfish, but not cruel. But he didn't want to cause pain or harm. He had no strength, but he had a conscience. So until the end of his life, he considered himself a murderer, deeply repented of his action and remained unhappy.
“Garnet Bracelet”, A.I. Kuprin.
A conscientious person will never forgive himself for a misdemeanor or mistake; he will always try to improve and take the right path. This is proven by an example from the “Garnet Bracelet”. Vera Sheina was a married woman, but from her youth she had one anonymous suitor who wrote her letters and even sent her gifts. Her family treated this normally, because the woman did not give reasons for suspicion, and her admirer did not impose his presence. But one day she received a bracelet from a stranger as a birthday present. Her brother, a proud and arrogant military man, was very angry at this circumstance. He forced Vera's husband to intervene and find the mysterious donor. It turned out to be telegraph operator Zheltkov. The men forced him to give up writing anonymous messages to Vera. Seeing no meaning in life without love, the hero committed suicide. The heroine found out about this and blamed herself for Zheltkov’s death. Of course, a more callous person would not have found fault with himself because of the death of some stranger, because it was not she who went to see him, but her brother and husband. But the feeling of guilt did not leave Vera, despite all the arguments of reason. Only Zheltkov’s farewell letter and the sounds of Beethoven’s sonata calmed her a little, but, without a doubt, the voice of conscience will remind her more than once of George and his fate.
“Station Warden”, A.S. Pushkin
. A person without conscience sometimes makes a mistake that can no longer be corrected. This is precisely the danger that each of us who does not feel guilty is exposed to. This is proven by an example from the work “The Station Agent”. The main character ran away from her father's house with the hussar. Her father loved her very much, never offended her, but could not provide wealth and prosperity for his daughter. Therefore, Dunya chose a wealthy life in the capital without consulting her parent. Samson Vyrin searched for a fugitive for a long time, he wanted to save her from debauchery and misfortune, because he did not know Minsky’s intentions. However, upon meeting, the daughter fainted from fear, and the officer kicked Vyrin out. Out of grief, the hero drank and died alone. The daughter didn’t even write to him. But a few years after the caretaker’s death, a richly dressed lady with her children came to his grave and cried bitterly. Dunya drowned out the voice of her conscience with wealth and luxury, and therefore made a terrible mistake by leaving her father. When she herself became a mother and understood Samson's grief, she repented, but it was too late: her father died. This is why we need conscience so much: it helps us to come to our senses in time and make the right decision.
