An individual may in this life distort and silence his conscience, and even demolish his moral agency, and reduce himself to a lunatic. Conscience is the power of the mind that asserts and enforces principled character. It is the dominating attribute lacking in our world today. It is that mindset that pronounces upon obedience or disobedience. Conscience is not a policymaker that makes law, but a judge that convicts of guilt, and passes sentence, in respect to the past, and decrees and enforces obedience to law. It is the moral compass that governs behaviour. Conscience, as a judge, smiles upon obedience, and frowns upon disobedience. When a leader’s conscience becomes seared, it is disastrous to the institution led and catastrophic to the world at large.
Guest Column Noah Mangwarara
A seared conscience is the negative response or neglect of reason. It is that power of the mind which ignores moral obligation and lacks a sense of guilty. A leader’s conscience is seared when the duty beforehand is known, but the leader lacks the feeling impelled by an affirmation of moral duty to execute in line with the expectation of that position. Such a leader is a cost to humanity; who, knowing that he/she is or has been wrong, without the consciousness or conviction of guilty.
What of a political leader who fails to regard and treat moral questions that concern the well -being of the general populace? When issues of people’s rights, political reform, freedom of speech, and housing for the generality of the masses are neglected, indeed, the conscience of the leader must be in a seared state. When questions that concern the nation’s usefulness, or the usefulness of others, are not treated as urgent questions, it is because the conscience of leadership is seared, maybe with a hot iron.
When the leader neglects to inform followers or deny them the rightful information to make decisions, without a sense of guilt; especially when the means of information are within their reach, then surely the conscience has been seared. The leader who neglects any known duty without a sign of remorse, the conscience has been seared. When the health of the populace is tempered with by the very people who have the powers of providing such, their conscience is only, but seared.
It is evidence that the conscience has been seared if jobs are promised for the masses and the few with jobs are losing theirs. If men and women are asked to work very hard, with a whip for their backs, and at payment time the leader refuses to pay, what’s that, but a sign of a conscience seared? When the leaders squander national resources in any way, and consume them upon their lusts, without feelings for those led wailing in misery, it’s only that their conscience is seared.
When they do not feel that they are stewards, and absolutely and practically regard themselves as right always, in respect to all the possessions the nation has, it is because the conscience is seared. How come many fall short in respecting other people’s rights yet they are leaders? Its all because of a conscience seared. When duty is urged upon the leader, without feeling the force of moral obligation to perform it; when truth and argument do not take hold of their mind, and deeply impress with a sense of responsibility, it is a sign of a seared conscience. When you can persuade them with anything, as a performance of duty, while they are not actuated by love, it is because the conscience is seared, and they become very superficial in their dealings.
In a crucial meeting, when the discussion of any important question can be postponed, and matters of least importance are considered, then something has gone really wrong. When such a question is laid for future discussion, and proceeds with courses that are least questionable, it shows that the conscience is seared with a hot iron.
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When any form of selfishness can be indulged upon, without regret, it is because the leaders have a seared conscience. When they transact business upon selfish principles, and take advantage of others in business, that they shall put money in their pocket at the expense of another, it is a true sign of a leader’s conscience gone bad. When the leader enriches him/herself by any employment, without any regard to the interests of those with whom they deal, the conscience is seared with a hot iron.
Holding on to possessions and positions that were obtained by a violation of the Constitution is a sure sign of a conscience seared.
Whenever they can, through any neglect of duty, break anything, injure the tools or anything else with which you are entrusted, whether it belongs to themselves or anyone else, without regret, the conscience is seared. Inducing financial loss on an institution without resigning from such positions is only a sign that the leader had trampled upon their conscience.
When the leader sees a fellow comrade indulging in such things that are immoral and does not reprove them, at home or abroad, especially by the impressive lesson of their own good example, the leader must be extremely hardened, and the conscience seared.
When the leader neglects to scrutinise the motives of their actions, and go on day after day without self-examination in this respect, the conscience is lost.
Unfortunately, such conscienceless people constitute the very leaders running with the baton stick and guiding our institutions forward. It’s all lunacy, maybe they need to be posted to a reformation academy to be taught bits of ethics and integrity.
