'Conscience' Versus 'Conscious'

 

I don’t know about you, but I always have to think for a second when I’m trying to write the words “conscious” and “conscience.” So I finally came up with a Quick and Dirty Tip to help me get it right.

First, let’s do the definitions.

Conscious

You are conscious when you are awake and conscious of something when you are aware of it. I like this quotation from the novelist Aldous Huxley:

Happiness is not achieved by the conscious pursuit of happiness; it is generally the by-product of other activities.

Conscience

On the other hand, your conscience tells you the difference between right and wrong. You have something on your conscience when you feel guilty. Leaders sometimes ask politicians to vote their conscience. I like this quotation from the newspaper columnist Doug Larson:

A lot of people mistake a short memory for a clear conscience.

Quick and Dirty Tip

Here’s how I remember the spelling of “conscience.” 

The word “conscience” ends with “science”—S-C-I-E-N-C-E—even though it’s not pronounced that way. So picture Albert Einstein—a physicist and mathematician who was interested in both science and philosophy—sitting on your shoulder and prodding you to do the right thing. The man of science appeals to your conscience. 

That works for me every time, so I hope it works for you.

Arkady Mazor / Shutterstock.com

Keep reading on Quick and Dirty Tips