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Too funny! Happy Easter Nancy.
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Quote:
“Oscar Wilde said that conscience and cowardice are the same thing. What stops us from doing horrible things isn’t our conscience but the fear of getting caught.” – Clara Morrow
Jane Richmond:
Looking ahead to the start of our discussion on Still Life, I thought I’d share this quote from Chapter 1.
For me, my conscience is more a reflection of my pride than my fear. I feel a need to look in the mirror and be happy with what I see. What are your thoughts? Do you agree with Oscar Wilde?
Source of this quote:
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I don’t completely agree with Wilde. But with respect to laws, I think I do agree that I follow them out of fear of being caught, eg an illegal u-turn on a deserted street where it’s perfectly safe to do so, but I still hesitate to do it and would rather drive around the block.
Awwww, that’s another theme in Penny’s books – character is what you do when no one is looking.
I believe conscience compels us to do the right thing and it’s cowardice when we know what’s right and do nothing.
I can’t quite agree with Oscar about this. When I think about certain crimes, like cold-blooded murder or abuse, I think it wouldn’t be just the fear of getting caught that would stop me. My conscience would. But how do we develop a conscience? Is it from fear? Fear of the wrath of God, for instance? Maybe Wilde would say so. Fear of our heinous acts being seen by God or some other force in the universe and punished accordingly. But I don’t think it’s that simple. Whatever it is that made me develop a conscience, it’s within me, and it’s probably fear of letting myself down that would ultimately do me in if I were to cross the lines of my personal code. Like you say, Jane, I have to be happy with what I see in the mirror (spiritually, not physically, thank goodness; some miracles just aren’t going to happen)! Cowardice would be NOT living up to my conscience/moral code, not toeing the line of it.
You always make me laugh, Susan! I’m with you about the physical reflection in the mirror comment!