ANOTHER LOOK AT CONSCIENCE
We started our discussion by looking at conscience. We then
discovered that there are two ways to program Perceiver strategy with
information. I suggest that these two types of Perceiver facts lead to two
different forms of conscience. Let us examine first the kind of conscience
which results from a mental foundation of emotional 'facts.' We will refer
to this as approval 'conscience.'
A Digression—Disobedience and Rebellion
Remember that conscience results from an interaction between the
internal worlds of Mercy and Perceiver strategy. Perceiver thought
provides the connection: It believes that some pleasant Mercy experience is
always followed by a terrible Mercy result. Mercy strategy operates the
contraption: When Mercy thought considers identifying with the pleasant
initial experience, then Perceiver strategy warns Mercy thought that the
nasty Mercy result will probably follow. If Mercy thought moves on to
other topics, then the mental pain of the second experience passes as
well—we have remained at the stage of conscience. However, if Mercy
thought insists upon identifying with the first experience, then Perceiver
belief is equally certain that Mercy strategy must now identify with the
second experience as well—we have now moved beyond conscience to
guilt.
Let us look again at mother‟s warning that “Stealing a cookie will lead
to a spanking.” Why does the child believe his mother‟s words? Because, if
his emotional respect for mother is sufficient, then Perceiver thought will
be mesmerized into 'believing' that „stealing a cookie‟ and „getting a
spanking‟ belong together. This connection will be drawn into the
Perceiver internal world as a 'belief.'
So far, so good. If Johnny takes the cookie and receives a spanking,
then he will know that he has deserved his punishment and he can move on
to other things and other cookie tables. However, suppose that mother
punishes Johnny by telling him that he is a horrible, disobedient boy who
never listens. As usual, since mother has spoken, Perceiver thought in the
child will 'know' that these 'facts' are correct; Johnny will 'believe' that me
and „horrible disobedient boy who never listens‟ belong together.
Johnny is now faced with guilt. Mercy strategy has identified with the
experience of „eating a cookie,‟ and Perceiver thought is certain that Mercy