Ana and I have been talking about her conscience lately.

[conuly]

She'll start to misbehave now, stop herself, and then run to tell me that HER CONSCIENCE told her to be good. I kinda wish she wouldn't, because it's getting annoying, but I encourage her.

The other day, I mentioned that I wanted her to behave because I didn't want her conscience to punish her later, and she looked at me in shock and went "WHAT? What could HE do?"

So I had to explain that although I can give her a time-out, her conscience can make her cry, and give her bad dreams, and make her stomach hurt. We always, I said, want to stay on the good side of our conscience. (Because your conscience is bound to be a manipulative bastard, and passive-aggressive as well, but I didn't say that part.)

We're working on it. Her understanding of what her conscience is and does is still very much a work in progress.

Comments

[ancarett]

(Because your conscience is bound to be a manipulative bastard, and passive-aggressive as well, but I didn't say that part.)

Too true! This made me laugh as I nodded my head in rueful agreement.

[ncp.livejournal.com]

My imaginary friends were never this good at guilt trips :-D

[conuly]

My conscience is still - still - making me feel bad about helping others cheat in the first grade.

Well, no, the cheating is inconsequential. No, I feel guilty about not fessing up when the teacher let me go while saying that she knew I wouldn't cheat. What a way to twist the knife!

[pne.livejournal.com]

I sometimes wish my conscience could brainwash the rest of me a bit better... I'd rather not have the desire to do stupid stuff than to simultaneously have the desire and have my conscience tell me, "No, don't do that, that's stupid".

Because I know he's right but I still don't like having him deny me the pleasure.

Some days, I hate being an adult and having to act responsible.

[gingembre.livejournal.com]

I've been very interested in helping her figure out these "voices in her head" while not imposing too much of my own views of them on her (as I'm interested to see what she comes up with on her own...)

[ancarett]

(Because your conscience is bound to be a manipulative bastard, and passive-aggressive as well, but I didn't say that part.)

Too true! This made me laugh as I nodded my head in rueful agreement.

[(Anonymous)]

My imaginary friends were never this good at guilt trips :-D

[conuly]

My conscience is still - still - making me feel bad about helping others cheat in the first grade.

Well, no, the cheating is inconsequential. No, I feel guilty about not fessing up when the teacher let me go while saying that she knew I wouldn't cheat. What a way to twist the knife!

[pne.livejournal.com]

I sometimes wish my conscience could brainwash the rest of me a bit better... I'd rather not have the desire to do stupid stuff than to simultaneously have the desire and have my conscience tell me, "No, don't do that, that's stupid".

Because I know he's right but I still don't like having him deny me the pleasure.

Some days, I hate being an adult and having to act responsible.

[gingembre.livejournal.com]

I've been very interested in helping her figure out these "voices in her head" while not imposing too much of my own views of them on her (as I'm interested to see what she comes up with on her own...)