Your conscience is educated, not invented

We often appeal to conscience as if it were the last word: 'I feel this way.' And it is true that you must follow it. But conscience is not a whim or a hunch: it is a judgment about what is right, and it can get it right or get it wrong. That is why it needs to be formed. An uneducated conscience is like someone who has an opinion on everything without having learned about anything. Seeking the truth, learning, accepting help, not living on impulse alone: that is refining the compass, not losing freedom. Following your conscience is the right thing to do; but you have the responsibility to ensure that conscience is well formed. It is not enough to feel it: you must seek what is truly good.