What Is Your Conscience and How Does It Work?

Reviewed by: Dr. Steven Knauf, D.C.

By Martha Michael

It’s that little voice that tells you not to sneak a cookie from the jar and motivates you to “fess up” if you break the rules. Your conscience is a guiding force that most of us rely on when making controversial decisions, guided by our moral principles and deepest personal beliefs.

It isn’t a good look when people ignore that internal voice and show a lack of empathy. Though everyone’s conscience doesn’t completely agree, there are many culturally accepted versions of right and wrong, and people who don’t abide by them are often seen as self-serving or even sociopathic.

What Is Conscience and How Is It Defined?

There are many different viewpoints about the function of a conscience and how we apply it, says the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. From the Latin "conscientia" meaning “to share knowledge,” it’s a subjective source of information that accesses your personal beliefs and ethical principles to shape your behavior. Though it typically refers to the voice in your head, your conscience is partly shaped by forces outside yourself, including religion, social norms, and upbringing.

Moral principles vary according to where you live and who you rely upon for social cues and respect enough to mirror. There are many ways to conceptualize what’s right and wrong, but the key is to look inward and become aware of your own deeply held beliefs because they have long-term repercussions.

The concept is complex and there are various components of conscience.

Pluralistic and Subjective

The behaviors stemming from your conscience differ from person to person. Everyone has a unique set of principles and beliefs, so outcomes are different. It’s pluralistic -- it doesn’t contain fixed or universal content. An act that violates one person’s conscience can be consistent with another person’s ideas.

Self-Awareness

When you access messaging from your conscience, your inner judge reflects on it and chooses the desired behavior. Your conscience acts as an inner philosopher, bringing moral self-assessment into the process. When we tap into our own moral beliefs, we can apply them to the issue at hand.

Indirect Moral Knowledge

In both religious and secular settings, the conscience is informed by external sources. In some cases, it’s seen as implanted divinely but is shaped by sacred texts, rituals, and clergy. Others point to family and culture as the biggest contributors to your morals and beliefs and the ethical behavior that results. Conscience is relativistic and can be influenced by religious shifts or changes in society.

How a Person’s Conscience Influences Their Health and Relationships

Many aspects of a person’s mental and emotional fitness have obvious ties to their physical health. For instance, emotional stress can lead to migraine headaches or gastrointestinal issues, while people battling an eating disorder, such as anorexia nervosa, may suffer from malnutrition.

Your conscience is thought to be located in the brain, says an article on the website Wonderopolis. Brain scans identify a “moral network” involving three smaller networks with diverse functions. It’s the part of the brain responsible for caring and understanding. Scientists theorize that the development of a conscience in humans grew from the need for cooperation. Primitive men had a better chance of survival by working together.

Your conscience has a direct impact on your relationships because it’s formed by interaction as you draw conclusions about what’s acceptable. People learn right and wrong from each other when they witness various reactions and see how their words and actions are received.

Your conscience can directly impact your physical health. For instance, feelings of distress when you contradict your ethical standards may cause stomach aches. Those with a healthy conscience feel guilty when they cause pain to someone else, and their guilt can lead to such problems as sleeplessness.

What Are the Warning Signs That Someone Has No Conscience?

Not everyone has met someone who defies social norms when a situation calls for a clear, reasonable action. It’s more common for people to associate a lack of conscience with true crime shows about criminals who lack empathy for their victims.

The Mayo Clinic says that the inability to empathize often leads to bad behavior -- even violence or criminality -- a common characteristic of a sociopath. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, individuals diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder, or sociopathy, show a lack of regard for others.

Symptoms of antisocial personality disorder, or ASPD, include:

• Lying
• Disregard for right and wrong
• Insensitivity
• Disrespect
• Use of humor to manipulate
• Superior attitude
• Being opinionated
• Violence
• Criminal behavior
• Criminal behavior
• Disregard for safety
• Financial irresponsibility

You can typically see signs of a sociopath or a similar mental health condition by the age of 15, and once diagnosed, it’s considered a lifelong condition. A lack of empathy and other personality traits are indicators that intervention may be in order.

Symptoms of antisocial personality disorder may include:

• Aggressiveness
• Cruelty toward animals
• Destruction of property
• Dishonesty
• Theft
• Rule violation

Some individuals have a genetic predisposition to developing ASPD. Circumstances such as abuse or neglect can change brain function and trigger sociopathic behavior.

How Can People Without a Conscience Promote Ethical Behavior and Social Responsibility?

People who have a conduct disorder or have trouble with empathy and don’t have clarity about how to be socially responsible can consciously decide to cultivate ethical behavior. One of the arenas where your conscience becomes evident is in the world of corporate social responsibility. An article by BetterUp offers suggestions for behaving more ethically and becoming an ethical leader.

“Ethical leadership means that individuals behave according to a set of principles and values that are recognized by the majority as a sound basis for the common good,” the article says.

An ethical leader promotes:

• Honesty
• Justice
• Integrity
• Responsibility
• Respect
• Transparency

Whether you have an innate tendency to lean on the dictates of your conscience or you have to work at it, you can have an impact on others around you. Individuals who attempt to run an ethical business can commit to their internal guide and follow strategies to lead others in the process.

Traits of an ethical leader include:

• Galvanized values - With an internal compass guided by ethical principles, your conscience becomes visible to others.
• Consistent behavior - Leaders who continue to demonstrate honest, ethical behavior will build a reputation for trustworthiness.
• Voicing concerns - Ethical leaders speak up about issues even when they’re unpopular
• Taking responsibility - The most effective leaders are often the ones who are willing to carry the burden of responsibility for shortcomings and mistakes.
• Showing fairness - When making decisions, they support fair treatment and meritocracy
• Leading by example - The most ethical leadership comes from those who practice what they preach.

Turning your attention to your deep-seated morals can lead to personal gain, such as being on the same page as your colleagues. Benefits to businesspersons include:

• Better relationships with customers
• Support in hard times
• Loyalty from subordinates
• Higher standards
• Societal respect
• Sense of belonging

Your conscience is formed by a variety of forces and sometimes it’s fluid, continuing to develop as you age. People with a healthy conscience have internal feelings that guide them in choosing right over wrong, but some people have a mental health condition that challenges their ability to access a moral compass.

By some metrics, a strong conscience can reflect the strength of your mental health. If you have strong internal messaging, let your conscience be your guide because it’s better than getting caught with your hand in the cookie jar.

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