🤔 Clear Conscience: Sleeping Like a Baby with a Mind at Peace 🌙
Definition:
To have a clear conscience means to feel free from blame, guilt, or any moral/ethical burden because one believes their actions to be righteous or guiltless.
Historical Use:
- John Lyly, a sixteenth-century writer, emphasized the term in his work Euphues (1580): “A cleere conscience is a sure card.”
- The same phrase found its moment of fame in James Howell’s collection of proverbs in 1659.
- Benjamin Franklin woven wisdom into it with, “Keep Conscience clear, then never fear” in Poor Richard’s Almanack, 1749. How spot on is that?
Similar Idioms & Expressions:
- Clean Slate: To start afresh without any past misdeeds lingering.
- Sleep Like a Baby: Sleep peacefully with no worries.
- Guilt-Free Zone: Informal term for a state of being where one’s actions are beyond reproach.
- Heart of Gold: Denotes a person with a very kind and morally good nature.
- Pure as the Driven Snow: Completely innocent and untainted.
Synonyms & Antonyms:
- Synonyms: Innocent, guiltless, blameless, spotless, beyond reproach
- Antonyms: Guilty, remorseful, ashamed, guilty conscience, burdened
Humor-Filled Quotes:
“Always keep your conscience clear. Or at least as clear as your internet browser history!”
“Conscience is what hurts when everything else feels great.” – George Carlin
Proverbs:
- Afrikaans: “Rein gewete is die beste hoofkussing.” — A clear conscience is the best pillow.
- Spanish: “A buena conciencia, no hay juez.” — To a good conscience, there is no need for a judge.
Reading, Watching, & Listening Recommendations:
Literature:
- Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky – A gripping exploration of guilt and redemption.
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee – Some food for your conscience!
Songs:
- “Man in the Mirror” by Michael Jackson – Because introspection is where it all begins.
- “Truth” by Alexander Ebert – A single song that asks, are you true to you?
Movies:
- Good Will Hunting – Conscience meets genius in this heart-touching flick.
- A Beautiful Mind – The story blends brilliance with deep ethical ponderings.
Quiz Time!
### Which phrase means the same as "clear conscience"?
- [x] Clean slate
- [ ] Cloud nine
- [ ] Hit the hay
- [ ] Pie in the sky
> **Explanation:** "Clean slate" implies starting over with no guilt or burden from past actions, similar to the notion of a clear conscience.
### Pick the genuine idiom expressing guiltlessness:
- [x] Sleep like a baby
- [ ] Climb the Apple Tree
- [ ] Walking the Green Mile
- [ ] Sitting on clouds
> **Explanation:** "Sleep like a baby” is an idiom showing sound, worry-free sleep, synonymous with having a clear conscience.
### True or False: 'Pure as the driven snow' means having a clear conscience.
- [x] True
- [ ] False
> **Explanation:** True! It represents innocence and a lack of guilt, much akin to having a clear conscience.
### Which author advocated for a clear conscience in his writings?
- [x] Benjamin Franklin
- [ ] Charles Dickens
- [ ] William Shakespeare
- [ ] Mark Twain
> **Explanation:** Benjamin Franklin definitely emphasized a clear conscience in his sayings and works, encouraging worry-free living.
Farewell: May your conscience be as clear as the driven snow, and your mind as peaceful as a calm summer night. Keep walking the path of truth and order, for therein lies the ultimate serenity.
Always with a wink and a grin, M. S. Calmsoul
