Today, I am going to address a significant topic: conscience. But, you know what? When we talk about conscience, almost the first thing that comes to mind is religion, especially the Catholic Church, the examination of conscience, and the saints. However, I want to share something different from what Cicero said before Christ: “For me, my conscience is more important than the opinion of men.” He doesn’t even mention God, any saint, any religion. He only highlights that his conscience is more important than the opinion of others.
In another letter, Cicero wrote: “Listen first to your conscience and then to the opinion of others.” We are all very good at giving opinions: “I would do this, I would do that, I would never do that,” etc. When someone has a conflict and doesn’t know what to do, there are always friends, terrible friends, or enemies to give their opinion on what they should do. Well, you know what? First my conscience.
In a complementary way, Seneca, who was not a saint or a religious person, but a Roman philosopher and thinker, said: “Live with men as if God saw you.” Here he does mention God, but he is clearly referencing conscience. “Live with men as if God saw you; speak to God as if men heard you.” There is a more religious tone here, but the God in whom Seneca believed is not the Christian God. We are talking about Poseidon, Aphrodite, and other gods of that culture.
What does “live with men as if God saw you” mean? Could God be here present and approve of what I am going to do or say? Could God smile at me and pat me on the shoulder saying “go ahead”? The role of conscience is crucial. Following conscience, you can make mistakes, since we do not have a perfect conscience. But the important thing is to follow it and work on growing as people, informing and forming our conscience.
From the age of 5, 6, 7, there is already a little voice inside us that tells us “don’t hit, don’t shout, share your lunch.” Even before they can speak properly, small children already show conscience. For example, a two- or three-year-old girl can try to comfort a crying baby by offering him her ball. Conscience starts to function very early.
In adult life, we have very serious problems with conscience and often do the opposite of what Seneca said. Instead of living as if God sees us, we think “how good that no one is watching me, I can do what I want.” Instead of speaking to God as if men can hear us, we say “I don’t pray, I don’t inform or form my conscience, I don’t ask God what I should do.”
Conscience is more important than the opinion of others, of the world, of ideologies and of fashions. Living with men as if God sees you implies not allowing ourselves to offend others. Let’s spread the word, let’s do all the good we can, and may God bless you always.
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