Each person is familiar with his inner voice exposition. Helping hand near

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(1) Each person is looking for a place in life, trying to assert his self. (2) It's natural. (3) But how does he find his place? (4) What ways does he go to him? (5) What moral values have weight in his eyes? (6) The question is extremely important.

(7) Many of us cannot admit to ourselves that due to a misunderstood, inflated feeling dignity, because of the unwillingness to seem worse, we sometimes take rash steps, we do not do very well. (8) We won’t ask again, we won’t say “I don’t know”, “I can’t”: there are no words. (9) Selfish people cause a feeling of condemnation. (10) However, those who exchange their dignity like small coins are no better. (11) In the life of every person, there are probably moments when he is simply obliged to show his pride, to affirm his self. (12) And, of course, this is not always easy to do.

(13) true price sooner or later, a person is still found out. (14) And the higher this price, the more people loves not so much himself as others. (15) Leo Tolstoy emphasized that each of us, the so-called small ordinary person, is in fact a historical person who is responsible for the fate of the whole world.

Sample Concise Statement

Every person is looking for a place in life, which is natural. But how does he find his place and the way to it? What moral values are important to him? The questions are extremely important.

Many do not admit that because of a false sense of self-worth, we sometimes do wrong. We won’t ask again, we won’t say “I don’t know”, “I can’t”. Selfish people are condemned, but those who waste their dignity in vain are no better off. In the life of every person there are moments when he is obliged to show pride, and this is not easy to do.

The true value of a person is revealed sooner or later. And the higher this price, the more a person loves others. Leo Tolstoy emphasized that every person is a historical person who is responsible for the fate of the whole world.

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The nature of conscience

One poor woman took something from the store and secretly took it away. Nobody saw her. But from that moment on, some unpleasant feeling haunted her. She had to return to the store and put the thing she had taken in its place. After that, she came home with a sense of relief. You can't enumerate such examples when people are forced to act contrary to their own benefit or pleasure.

Each person is familiar with his inner voice, which either reproaches him and, as it were, oppresses him, then encourages and pleases. This subtle innate moral sense is called conscience. Conscience is a kind of spiritual instinct that distinguishes good from evil faster and more clearly than the mind. Whoever follows the voice of conscience will not regret his actions.

In Holy Scripture, the conscience is also called the heart. In the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord Jesus Christ likened conscience to “ eye” (eye), through which a person sees his moral condition (Mt. 6:22). The Lord also likened the conscience " opponent,” which a person needs to come to terms with before they stand before the Judge (Mt. 5:25). This last name indicates the distinctive property of conscience: resist our bad deeds and intentions.

Our personal experience also convinces us that this inner voice, called conscience, is out of our control and expresses itself directly, apart from our desire. Just as we cannot convince ourselves that we are full when we are hungry, or that we are rested when we are tired, so we cannot convince ourselves that we have done well when our conscience tells us that we have done bad.

Some see in the words of Christ about “ undying worm,” who in that life will torment sinners, an indication of remorse (Mark 9:40).

Such torments of conscience were figuratively described by A.S. Pushkin in a dramatic work Miserly knight:”

"Conscience -

A clawed beast that scrapes the heart; conscience -

Uninvited guest, annoying interlocutor,

The creditor is rude; it's a witch

From which the moon and the graves fade.”

And then, with horror, the old knight recalls the prayers and tears of all those whom he ruthlessly robbed. Similar torments of conscience portrayed A. S. Pushkin in the drama Boris Godunov,” putting the following words into the mouth of the unfortunate king: “... Yes, pitiful is the one in whom the conscience is unclean!”

Conscience is the universal moral law

The presence of conscience testifies that indeed, as the Bible tells, God already at the very creation of man inscribed in the depths of his soul His image and likeness(Gen. 1:26). Therefore, it is customary to call conscience the voice of God in man. Being a moral law written directly on the heart of a person, it acts in all people regardless of their age, race, upbringing and level of development.

Scholars (anthropologists) who study the manners and customs of backward tribes and peoples testify that so far not a single tribe, even the most savage, has been found that would be alien to one or another concept of morally good and evil. In addition, many tribes not only highly value goodness and abhor evil, but for the most part agree in their views on the essence of both. Many, even savage tribes, stand as high in their concepts of good and evil as the most developed and cultured peoples. Even among those tribes in which deeds that are disapproving from the prevailing point of view are elevated to the degree of virtue, one can notice in everything else related to moral concepts, complete agreement with the views of all people.

About the actions of the internal moral law in people St. apostle Pavel in the first chapters of his epistle to the Romans. The apostle reproaches the Jews that, knowing the written Divine law, they often violate it, while the pagans “not having(written) law, by nature they do what is lawful ... They show(this) that the work of the law is written in their hearts, as evidenced by their consciences and thoughts, which now accuse, now justify one another”(Rom. 2:15). App here. Paul explains how this law of conscience alternately rewards and punishes a person. So, every person, whoever he is, Jew or Gentile, feels peace, joy and satisfaction when he does good, and, on the contrary, feels anxiety, sorrow and oppression when he does evil. Moreover, even pagans, when they do evil or indulge in debauchery, know from an inner feeling that these actions will follow God's Punishment(Rom. 1:32). At the coming terrible judgment, God will judge people not only according to their faith, but also according to the testimony of their conscience. Therefore, as teaches ap. Paul, and the Gentiles can be saved if their conscience testifies before God of their virtuous life.

Conscience has great sensitivity to good and evil. If man had not been corrupted by sin, he would not need a written law. Conscience could correctly guide all his actions. The need for a written law arose after the fall, when a person, darkened by passions, no longer clearly hears the voice of his conscience. But essentially, both written law and domestic law conscience says one thing: “as you want people to do to you, do to them”(Mt. 7:12).

In daily relationships with people, we subconsciously lose more of a person's conscience than written laws and rules. After all, you can’t keep track of any crime, and sometimes unrighteous judges have a law - “what was the drawbar: where you turned, it went there.” Conscience contains within itself the eternal and unchanging law of God. Therefore, normal relationships between people are possible only as long as people have not lost their conscience.

Examples of Actions of Conscience Described in the Bible

No secular book reveals so accurately all the diversity of manifestations of conscience in a person as the Bible. We will give here some of the most striking examples of the manifestation of conscience.

Turning our attention to negative examples, we see how unkind deeds cause shame, fear, grief, guilt and even despair in a person. So, for example, Adam and Eve, having tasted the forbidden fruit, felt ashamed and hid, with the intention of hiding from God (Genesis 3:7-10). Cain, killing out of envy younger brother Abel, began to fear that any passer-by would not kill him (Gen. 4:14). King Saul, who was persecuting the innocent David, wept with shame when he learned that David, instead of avenging him for the evil, spared his life (1 Sam. 26). Proud scribes and Pharisees who led an adulterous woman to Christ , with shame began to leave when they saw their own sins written by Christ on earth (John 8 ch.). Merchants and money changers withdrew from the temple without protest when Christ persecuted them, realizing that the temple should not be turned into a bazaar (John 2 ch.).

Sometimes pangs of conscience become so unbearable that a person prefers to end his life. Most a prime example We see such strong remorse of conscience in Judas the traitor, who hanged himself after betraying Christ to the Jewish high priests (Mt. 27:5). In general, sinners, both believers and non-believers, subconsciously feel responsible for their actions. So, according to the prophetic words of Christ, sinners before the end of the world, seeing the approach of the righteous judgment of God, will ask the earth to swallow them up, and the mountains to cover them (Luke 23:30, Rev. 6:16).

It sometimes happens that a person is in a cycle of anxiety, with an influx of strong feelings or in a state of fear, as if he does not hear the voice of his conscience. But then, having come to his senses, he feels her reproaches with double strength. So, the brothers of Joseph, having got into trouble, remembered their sin about selling their younger brother into slavery and realized that they were justly punished for this sin (Genesis 42:21). King David, carried away by the beauty of Bathsheba, realized his sin of adultery only after he was rebuked by the prophet Nathan (2 Sam. 12:13). impulsive app. Peter, under the pressure of fear, denied Christ, but when he heard the cock crow, he remembered Christ's prediction and wept bitterly (Mt. 26:75). The prudent thief, hanging on the cross next to Christ, only before his death realized that suffering was sent to him and his comrade for their former crimes (Luke 23:40-41). Zacchaeus the publican, touched by the love of Christ, remembered the offenses that he had caused people with his greed and decided to make amends to all those offended by him (Luke 19:8).

On the other hand, when a person realizes his innocence, he finds in the pure testimony of his conscience an unshakable support for hope in God. Thus, for example, the righteous Job, suffering grievously, realized that the cause of suffering was not in him, but in the higher plans of God, and hoped for God's mercy (Job 27:6). Similarly, the righteous king Hezekiah, dying of an incurable disease, began to ask God to heal him for the sake of those good deeds that he had previously done, and stood up healthy (2 Kings 20:3). Ap. Paul, whose life was devoted to God and the salvation of people, not only was not afraid of death, but, on the contrary, desired to be released from the mortal body in order to be with Christ (Phil. 1:2).

There is no greater relief and happiness for the sinner than to receive the forgiveness of sins and calm the conscience. Gospel abounds similar examples. So, a sinner woman, in the house of Matthew, with gratitude washed Christ's feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair (Luke 7:38).

On the other hand, neglect of the voice of conscience and repeated falls darken the soul to such an extent that a person can suffer, as St. Pavel, “shipwreck in faith,” those. may sink irrevocably into evil (1 Tim. 1:19).

The psychological side of conscience

Psychology deals with the study of the properties of conscience and its relationship with other mental abilities of a person. Psychology tries to establish two points: a) Is conscience natural property the person with whom he is born, or is it the fruit of upbringing and is conditioned by the living conditions in which a person is formed? and b) Is conscience a manifestation of the mind, feelings or will of a person, or is it an independent force?

Careful observation of the presence of conscience in a person convinces us that conscience is not the fruit of education or the physical instincts of a person, but has a higher, inexplicable origin.

For example, children show conscience before any upbringing by adults. If physical instincts dictated conscience, then conscience would induce people to do what is beneficial and pleasant for them. However, conscience very often compels a person to do exactly what is unprofitable and unpleasant for him. No matter how the wicked enjoy with impunity and how good, praiseworthy people suffer in this temporary life, conscience tells everyone that there is a higher justice. Sooner or later everyone will be rewarded for their deeds. That is why for many people the most convincing argument in favor of the existence of God and the immortality of the soul is the presence in man of the voice of conscience.

As for the relationship of conscience with other forces of a person, with his mind, feeling and will, we see that conscience not only tells a person about what is in itself good or bad in moral attitude, but also obliges he will certainly do good and avoid doing bad, accompanying good actions with a feeling of joy and satisfaction, and vicious actions with a feeling of shame, fear, and mental anguish. In these manifestations of conscience, cognitive, sensual and volitional sides are revealed.

Of course, reason alone cannot consider some actions as morally good and others as morally bad. It tends to find one or another of our and other people's actions either smart or stupid, expedient or inexpedient, profitable or unprofitable, and nothing more. Meanwhile, something prompts the mind to oppose the most, sometimes advantageous, opportunities to good actions, condemn the former and approve the latter. He sees in some human actions not only an advantage or a miscalculation, like mathematical calculations, but gives moral assessment deeds. Doesn't it follow from this that conscience acts on reason with the help of moral arguments, acting, in essence, independently of it?

Turning to the volitional side of the manifestations of conscience, we observe that the will itself is the ability of a person to desire something, but this ability does not command a person what to do. The human will, as far as we know it in ourselves and in other people, very often struggles with the demands of the moral law and struggles to break free from the fetters that constrain it. If the volitional manifestation of conscience were only the exercise of human will, then in this case there would be no such struggle. Meanwhile, the requirements of morality certainly control our will. She may not fulfill these requirements, being free, but she cannot renounce them either. However, the very non-fulfillment by the will of the requirements of conscience does not go unpunished for her.

Finally, the sensuous side of conscience cannot be regarded as merely the sensuous faculty of the human heart. The heart craves pleasant sensations and avoids unpleasant ones. Meanwhile, with the violation of the requirements of morality, strong mental anguish is often associated, which tear apart the human heart, from which we cannot get rid of, no matter how much we wish and try. Undoubtedly, the sensuous faculty of conscience cannot be regarded as a manifestation of ordinary sensibility.

So, should it not be admitted that conscience is some kind of a force separate from us, standing above man and dominating his mind, will and heart, although a prisoner or living in it?

About maintaining the purity of conscience

“Most of all stored your heart because out of it are the fountains of life” (Proverbs 4:23). With these words Holy Bible urges a person to protect his moral purity.

But what about a sinful person who has stained his conscience; is he forever doomed? Fortunately not! The great advantage of Christianity over other religions is that it opens the way and provides the means to fullcleansing conscience. This path is to repentantly cast down your sins before the mercy of God with a sincere intention to change your life for the better. God forgives us for the sake of His Only Begotten Son, who on the cross offered atonement for our sins. In the sacrament of baptism, and then in the sacraments of confession and communion, God completely cleanses the conscience of a person “from dead works” (Heb. 9:14). That's why the Church is great importance gives these sacraments.

In addition, the Church of Christ possesses that grace-filled power that makes it possible for conscience to improve in sensitivity and clarity of manifestations. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God”. Through a clear conscience, God's light begins to act, which guides the thoughts, words and actions of a person. In this grace-filled illumination, man becomes an instrument of God's Providence. He not only saves himself and improves spiritually, but contributes to the salvation of people who communicate with him (let us remember Saints Seraphim of Sarov, John of Kronstadt, Elder Ambrose of Optina and other righteous people).

Finally, clear conscience there is a source of inner joy. People with a pure heart are calm, friendly and benevolent. People with a pure heart already in this life are looking forward to the bliss of the Kingdom of Heaven!

“Not the greatness of power,” says St. John Chrysostom, - “not a lot of money, not the vastness of power, not a bodily fortress, not a luxurious table, not magnificent clothes, not other human advantages bring complacency and joy; but this happens only as a fruit of spiritual well-being and a good conscience.”

Folk proverbs related to conscience

Freedom of choice:

Life is given for good deeds.

Free will, saved paradise.

No matter how you live, just do not anger God.

The angel helps, but the demon incites.

Only dead fish swim with the current.

He who does not guard against fire will soon be burned.

Bad deeds will not lead to good. You will pass the world by falsehood, but you will not return back.

Conscience is not a story - you can’t hand it over to the archive.

It is better to live poor than to be rich with sin.

Remorse:

Each fruit has its own seeds.

What is the builder, such is the abode.

Without a reason, there is no turmoil.

True, true, but still bad.

The weather is beautiful, but the thought is rainy.

An evil conscience is worth an executioner.

Doesn't like crooked mirrors.

The truth, like a wasp, climbs into the eyes.

The bashful will blush, and the shameless will turn pale.

About repentance:

There are tears - there is a conscience.

Don't count the fallen as lost.

Better a bitter truth than a beautiful lie.

And the horse stumbles and recovers.

Recognition is half the correction.

Repent, but again do not take it for that.

It is hard for him who remembers evil.

Know how to sin - know how to repent.

Managed to tie, manage and untie.

I made a mistake that I hurt myself, forward science.

Simplicity, purity, rightness - the best beauty a.

God rests in simple hearts.

About hypocrites:

What is false is rotten.

Before the eyes of the reverend, but behind the eyes of sin is not free.

The eyes are radiant, but the thoughts are impure.

Speech is quiet, but the heart is dashing.

He who is not afraid of God is not ashamed of people either.

Last Judgment:

Do not praise yourself, there are many better than you.

Sin is not laughter when death comes.

He lived sinfully and died funny.

After death, it is too late to repent.

Murder will out.

Sins kindly lead to the abyss.

Not sinful, so death is not terrible.

A good end is the crown of the whole thing.

How inevitable is your power,

Thunderstorm of criminals, innocent comforter.

Oh conscience! Our deeds are the law and the accuser,

Witness and Judge!

V. Zhukovsky (1814)

Missionary leaflet number 9
Publishing House of the Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos
1996 and Published by
Holy Protection Russian Orthodox Church
2049 Argyle Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90068, USA
Editor: Bishop Alexander Mileant
(Consci.do from 09-14-98)

Task No. 1 OGE in Russian Grade 9

Write summary according to the given text. Please note that you must convey the main content of both each microtopic and the entire text as a whole. The volume of presentation is not less than 70 words. Write your essay in neat, legible handwriting.

Original text

Each person is familiar with his inner voice, which either reproaches him and, as it were, oppresses him, or encourages and pleases. This subtle innate moral sense is called conscience. Conscience is a kind of spiritual instinct that distinguishes good from evil faster and more clearly than the mind. Whoever follows the voice of conscience will not regret his actions.

Our personal experience also convinces us that this inner voice, called conscience, is beyond our control and expresses itself directly, apart from our desire. Just as we cannot convince ourselves that we are full when we are hungry, or that we are rested when we are tired, so we cannot convince ourselves that we have done well when our conscience tells us that we acted badly.

When trying to define what conscience is, we run into difficulties. Speaking about the "mechanism" of conscience, the famous modern American researcher and psychologist James Dobson notes that conscience is the ability given to us by God to distinguish bad from good, right from wrong. And guilt is that uncomfortable feeling that comes when we violate our internal code of ethics. In other words, the consciousness of guilt appears when the conscience expresses disapproval of our thoughts and actions, as if saying: “You should be ashamed of yourself!”

(According to the textbook "Fundamentals of Morality")

concise statement

Each person is familiar with his inner voice, which either reproaches and oppresses him, or encourages and pleases. This subtle innate moral sense is conscience. This is a kind of spiritual instinct that better distinguishes good from evil than the mind. Whoever follows the voice of conscience will not regret his actions.

Our personal experience convinces us that this inner voice is beyond our control and expresses itself beyond our will. We cannot convince ourselves that we have acted well when our conscience tells us that we have acted badly.

It is difficult to define what conscience is. It is our God-given ability to distinguish good from bad, right from wrong. And guilt is the uncomfortable feeling that comes when we violate our internal code of ethics. Consciousness of guilt arises when conscience expresses disapproval, as if to say: "You should be ashamed of yourself!"

Texts of presentations from open bank FIPI assignments

TEXT 1

In order to appreciate kindness and understand its meaning, you must certainly experience it yourself. It is necessary to perceive the ray of someone else's kindness and live in it. One must feel how a ray of this kindness takes possession of the heart, word and deeds of all life. Kindness comes not out of duty, not out of duty, but as a gift.

Someone else's kindness is a premonition of something more, which is not even immediately believed. This is the warmth from which the heart warms up and comes in response. A person who has once experienced kindness cannot but respond sooner or later, confidently or uncertainly, with his kindness.

It is a great happiness to feel the fire of kindness in your heart and give it free rein in life. At this moment, during these hours, a person finds his best in himself, hears the singing of his heart. “I” and “one’s own” are forgotten, someone else’s disappears, for it becomes “mine” and “me”. And for enmity and hatred there is no place in the soul.

If a person's ability to dream is taken away, then one of the most powerful incentives that give rise to culture, art, science and the desire to fight for a beautiful future will disappear. But dreams should not be divorced from reality. They should predict the future and make us feel that we are already living in this future and becoming different ourselves.

Dreams are needed not only for children, but also for adults. It causes excitement, a source of high feelings. It does not allow us to calm down and always shows new sparkling distances, a different life. It disturbs and makes you long for this life. This is its value.

Only a hypocrite can say that we must rest on our laurels and stop. To fight for the future, you need to be able to dream passionately, deeply and effectively. You need to cultivate in yourself a continuous desire for meaningful and beautiful.

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What is the benefit of reading? Is it true that reading is good for you? Why do so many people keep reading? After all, not only to relax or take your free time.

The benefits of reading books are obvious. Books broaden the horizons of a person, enrich him inner world, make smarter. It is also important to read books because it increases vocabulary a person develops clear and precise thinking. Anyone can verify this own example. One has only to thoughtfully read some classic work, and you will notice how it has become easier to express your own thoughts with the help of speech, to select the right words. A person who reads speaks better. Reading serious works makes us constantly think, it develops logical thinking. Don't believe? And you read something from the classics of the detective genre, for example, "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" by Conan Doyle. After reading, you will think faster, your mind will become sharper and you will understand that reading is useful and profitable.

It is also useful to read books because they have a significant impact on our moral guidelines and on our spiritual development. After reading this or that classical work, people sometimes begin to change for the better.

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What is a good book? First, the book should be exciting and interesting. After reading the first pages, there should be no desire to put it on the shelf. We are talking about books that make us think, express emotions. Secondly, the book should be written in rich language. Thirdly, it must carry a deep meaning. Original and unusual ideas also make the book useful.

Do not get carried away by any one genre or type of literature. Thus, a passion only for the fantasy genre can turn young readers into goblins and elves who know the way to Avalon much better than the way home.

If you have not read the books from school curriculum or read them in abbreviated form, you should start with them. Classic literature It is a must for every person. In great works there is disappointment and joy, love and pain, tragedy and comedy. They will teach you to be sensitive, emotional, help you see the beauty of the world, understand yourself and people. Naturally, read popular science literature. It will expand your horizons, form knowledge about the world, help you determine your path in life, and provide an opportunity for self-development. We hope that these reasons for reading will make the book your best friend.

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The word "culture" is multifaceted. What does true culture carry in the first place? It carries the concept of spirituality, light, knowledge and true beauty. And if people understand this, then our country will become prosperous. And therefore it would be very good if every city and village had its own center of culture, a center of creativity not only for children, but also for people of all ages.
True culture is always aimed at upbringing and education. And such centers should be headed by people who understand well what real culture is, what it consists of, what its significance is.
Such concepts as peace, truth, beauty can become the key note of culture. It would be good if honest and disinterested people, selflessly devoted to their work, respecting each other, were engaged in culture. Culture is a huge ocean of creativity, there is enough space for everyone, there is something for everyone. And if we all together begin to participate in its creation and strengthening, then our entire planet will become more beautiful.

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Having a family and children is as necessary and natural as it is necessary and natural to work. The family has long been held together by the moral authority of the father, who was traditionally considered the head. The children respected and obeyed their father. He was engaged in agricultural work, construction, logging and firewood. All the burden of peasant labor was shared with him by adult sons.

The management of the household was in the hands of the wife and mother. She was in charge of everything in the house: she looked after the cattle, took care of food, and clothes. She did not do all these works alone: even children, having barely learned to walk, little by little, along with the game, began to do something useful.

Kindness, tolerance, mutual forgiveness of insults outgrew in a good family during mutual love. Quarrelsomeness and quarrelsomeness were considered a punishment of fate and aroused pity for their bearers. It was necessary to be able to give in, forget the offense, respond with kindness or remain silent. Love and harmony between relatives gave rise to love outside the home. From a person who does not love and does not respect his relatives, it is difficult to expect respect for other people.

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What does it mean to be a cultured person? A cultured person can be considered an educated, well-mannered, responsible person. He respects himself and those around him. A cultured person is also distinguished by creative work, striving for high things, the ability to be grateful, love for nature and the motherland, compassion and sympathy for one's neighbor, goodwill.

A cultured person will never lie. He will maintain self-control and dignity in any life situations. He has a clear goal and achieves it. The main goal of such a person is to increase good in the world, to strive to ensure that all people are happy. Ideal cultured person is true humanity.

Nowadays, people devote too little time to culture. And many do not even think about it throughout their lives. It is good if a person's process of familiarization with culture occurs from childhood. The child gets acquainted with the traditions that pass from generation to generation, absorbs the positive experience of the family and his homeland, learns cultural values. As an adult, he can be useful to society.

Some believe that a person matures at a certain age, for example, at 18, when he becomes an adult. But there are people who remain children even at an older age. What does it mean to be an adult?

Adulthood means independence, that is, the ability to do without anyone's help, guardianship. A person with this quality does everything himself and does not expect support from others. He understands that he must overcome his difficulties himself. Of course, there are situations when a person cannot cope alone. Then you have to ask for help from friends, relatives and acquaintances. But in general, it is not typical for an independent, adult person to rely on others.

There is an expression: the hand should wait for help only from the shoulder. An independent person knows how to be responsible for himself, his deeds and actions. He plans his own life and evaluates himself, without relying on someone else's opinion. He understands that much in life depends on himself. Being an adult means being responsible for someone else. But for this, you also need to become independent, be able to make decisions. Adulthood does not depend on age, but on life experience, on the desire to live life without nannies.

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What is friendship? How do they become friends? You will meet friends most often among people of a common fate, one profession, common thoughts. And yet it is impossible to say with certainty that such a commonality determines friendship, because people of different professions can make friends.

Can two be friends opposite nature? Certainly! Friendship is equality and similarity. But at the same time, friendship is inequality and dissimilarity. Friends always need each other, but friends do not always receive equally from friendship. One is friends and gives his experience, the other in friendship is enriched by experience. One, helping a weak, inexperienced, young friend, learns his strength, maturity. Another, weak, recognizes in a friend his ideal, strength, experience, maturity. So, one in friendship gives, the other rejoices in gifts. Friendship is based on similarities, and manifests itself in differences, contradictions, dissimilarities.

A friend is the one who claims your rightness, talent, merit. A friend is one who lovingly exposes you in your weaknesses, shortcomings and vices.

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Friendship is not something external. Friendship lies deep in the heart. You can't force yourself to be someone's friend or force someone to be your friend.

For friendship, a lot is needed, first of all, mutual respect. What does it mean to respect your friend? It means to reckon with his opinion and to acknowledge it. positive features. Respect is shown in words and deeds. A respected friend feels that he is valued as a person, respected for his dignity and helped him not only out of a sense of duty. In friendship, trust is important, that is, confidence in the sincerity of a friend, that he will not betray or deceive. Of course, a friend can make mistakes. But we are all imperfect. These are the two main and main conditions for friendship. In addition, for friendship, for example, common moral values. People who have different views of what is good and what is evil will find it hard to be friends. The reason is simple: will we be able to show deep respect for a friend and, perhaps, trust, if we see that he does things that are unacceptable, in our opinion, and consider this the norm. Strengthen friendships and common interests or hobbies. However, for a friendship that has existed for a long time and has been tested by time, this is not important.

Friendship does not depend on age. They can be very strong and bring a lot of experiences to a person. But without friendship, life is unthinkable.

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One man was told that his acquaintance spoke of him in unflattering terms. "Do not you say! the man exclaimed. “I didn’t do anything good for him…” Here it is, the algorithm of black ingratitude, when good is met with evil. In life, it must be assumed, this person met more than once with people who confused the landmarks on the compass of morality.

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We often talk about the difficulties associated with raising a person starting life. And the most a big problem- this is a weakening of family ties, a decrease in the importance of the family in raising a child. And if in early years the family didn’t put anything solid in the moral sense into a person, then later society will have a lot of trouble with this citizen.

The other extreme is the overprotection of the child by the parents. This is also a consequence of the weakening of the family principle. Parents have not given their child spiritual warmth and, feeling this guilt, they strive in the future to pay their inner spiritual debt with belated petty care and material benefits.

The world is changing, becoming different. But if the parents could not establish internal contact with the child, shifting the main worries to grandparents or public organizations, then one should not be surprised that some child acquires cynicism and disbelief in unselfishness so early, that his life becomes impoverished, becomes flat and dry.

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Each of us once had favorite toys. Perhaps every person has a bright and tender memory associated with them, which he carefully keeps in his heart. Favorite toy is the most vivid memory from the childhood of every person.

In the age of computer technology, real toys no longer attract the same attention as virtual ones. But despite all the novelties that are emerging, such as phones and computer technology, the toy still remains unique and irreplaceable in its kind, because nothing teaches and develops a child like a toy with which he can communicate, play and even gain life experience.

A toy is the key to the mind of a little person. To develop and strengthen in it positive traits, to make him mentally healthy, to instill love for others, to form a correct understanding of good and evil, it is necessary to carefully choose a toy, remembering that it will bring to his world not only its image, but also behavior, attributes, as well as a system of values and worldview. It is impossible to raise a full-fledged person with the help of toys of a negative orientation.

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The essence of the concept of "power" lies in the ability of one person to force another to do what he would not have done of his own free will. The tree, if left undisturbed, grows straight up. But even if it does not manage to grow evenly, then it, bending under obstacles, tries to get out from under them and again stretch upwards. So is man. Sooner or later he will want to get out of obedience. Submissive people usually suffer, but if once they managed to throw off their "burden", then they often turn into tyrants themselves.

If you command everywhere and everyone, then loneliness awaits a person as the end of life. Such a person will always be alone. After all, he does not know how to communicate on an equal footing. Inside he has a dull, sometimes unconscious anxiety. And he feels calm only when people unquestioningly carry out his orders. The commanders themselves are unfortunate people, and they breed misfortune, even if they achieve good results.

Commanding and managing people are two different things. The one who manages, knows how to take responsibility for actions. This approach preserves the mental health of both the person himself and those around him.

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Self-doubt is an ancient problem, but it attracted the attention of physicians, teachers and psychologists relatively recently - in the middle of the 20th century. It was then that it became clear: ever-increasing self-doubt can cause a lot of trouble - up to serious illnesses, not to mention everyday problems.

What about psychological problems? After all, self-doubt can serve as the basis for constant dependence on the opinions of others. Imagine how uncomfortable the addict feels: other people's assessments seem to him much more important and significant than his own; he sees his every act primarily through the eyes of others. And most importantly, he wants approval from everyone, from loved ones to passengers on the tram. Such a person becomes indecisive and cannot correctly assess life situations.

How to overcome self-doubt? Some scientists are looking for an answer to this question, based on physiological processes others rely on psychology. One thing is clear: self-doubt can be overcome only if a person is able to correctly set goals, correlate them with external circumstances and positively assess their results.

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When I was about ten years old, someone's caring hand put a volume of Animal Heroes on me. I consider it my "alarm clock". I know from other people that for them the “alarm clock” of the feeling of nature was a month spent in the summer in the countryside, a walk in the forest with a man who “opened his eyes to everything”, the first trip with a backpack. There is no need to list everything that can wake you up in human childhood interest and reverence for the great mystery of life.

Growing up, a person should comprehend with his mind how complex everything in the living world is intertwined, interconnected, how this world is strong and at the same time vulnerable, how everything in our life depends on the wealth of the earth, on the health of wildlife. This school must be.

And yet at the beginning of everything is love. Awakened in time, she makes the knowledge of the world interesting and exciting. With it, a person also acquires a certain point of support, an important starting point for all the values of life. Love for everything that turns green, breathes, makes sounds, sparkles with colors - and there is love that brings a person closer to happiness.

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No matter how interesting the home and school life of a child is, if he does not read precious books, he is deprived. Such losses are irreparable. It is adults who can read the book today or in a year - the difference is small. In childhood, time is counted differently, there is a discovery every day. And the sharpness of perception in the days of childhood is such that early impressions can then influence the whole life.

Childhood impressions are the most vivid and lasting impressions. This is the foundation of the future spiritual life, the golden fund. Seeds sown in childhood. Not everyone will germinate, not everyone will bloom. But the biography of the human soul is the gradual germination of seeds sown in childhood.

The next life is complex and varied. It consists of millions of actions that are determined by many character traits and, in turn, form this character. But if we trace and find the connection between phenomena, it becomes obvious that every feature of the character of an adult person, every quality of his soul and, perhaps, even every action of his were sown in childhood, have since then had their germ, their seed.

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Times are changing, new generations are coming, in which, it would seem, everything is not the same as the previous ones: tastes, interests, life goals. But intractable personal questions, meanwhile, somehow remain unchanged. Today's teenagers, like their parents in their time, are also worried about everything: how to attract the attention of someone you like? How to distinguish infatuation from true love?

A youthful dream of love is, no matter what they say, first of all, a dream of mutual understanding. After all, a teenager definitely needs to realize himself in communication with peers: to show his ability to sympathize, empathize. Yes, and just show their qualities and abilities in front of those who are friendly towards him, who are ready to understand him.

Love is the unconditional and boundless trust of two to each other. Trust, which reveals in everyone all the best that a person is only capable of. Real love certainly includes friendships, but is not limited to them. It is always greater than friendship, because only in love do we recognize the other person's full right to everything that makes up our world.

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Can one exhaustive formula define what is art? Of course not. Art is charm and witchcraft, it is the revelation of the funny and the tragic, it is morality and immorality, it is the knowledge of the world and man. In art, a person creates his image as something separate, capable of existing outside of himself and remaining after him as his trace in history.

The moment a person turns to creativity, perhaps, is greatest discovery unparalleled in history. Indeed, through art, each individual person and nation as a whole comprehends his own characteristics, his life, his place in the world. Art allows you to get in touch with individuals, peoples and civilizations that are distant from us in time and space. And not just to get in touch, but to recognize and understand them, because the language of art is universal, and it is it that enables humanity to feel itself as a single whole.

That is why, since ancient times, an attitude to art has been formed not as entertainment or fun, but as a powerful force capable of not only capturing the image of time and man, but also passing it on to descendants.

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War was a cruel and rude school for children. They were not sitting at desks, but in frozen trenches, and in front of them were not notebooks, but armor-piercing shells and machine-gun belts. They have not yet had life experience and therefore did not understand the true value of simple things that you do not attach importance to in everyday peaceful life.

The war filled their spiritual experience to the limit. They could cry not from grief, but from hatred, they could childishly rejoice at the spring crane wedge, as they never rejoiced either before the war or after the war, with tenderness to keep in their souls the warmth of a bygone youth. Those who survived returned from the war, having managed to preserve in themselves a pure, radiant world, faith and hope, becoming more irreconcilable to injustice, kinder to good.

Although the war has already become history, the memory of it must live on, because the main participants in history are People and Time. Not to forget the Time means not to forget the People, not to forget the People - it means not to forget the Time.

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One man was told that his acquaintance spoke of him in unflattering terms. "Do not you say! the man exclaimed. “I didn’t do anything good for him…” Here it is, the algorithm of black ingratitude, when good is met with evil. In life, presumably, this person met more than once
with people who have confused the landmarks on the compass of morality.

Morality is the guide to life. And if you deviate from the road, you may well wander into a wind-blown, thorny bush, or even drown. That is, if you behave ungratefully towards others, then people have the right to behave towards you in the same way.

How to treat this phenomenon? Be philosophical. Do good and know that it will surely pay off. I assure you that you yourself will enjoy doing good. That means you will be happy. And this is the goal in life - to live it happily. And remember: exalted natures do good.

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Trials await friendship always. The main one today is a changed way of life, a change in the way and routine of life. With the acceleration of the pace of life, with the desire to quickly realize oneself, an understanding of the significance of time came. Previously, it was impossible to imagine, for example, that the hosts were weary of the guests. Now that time is the price of achieving one's goal, relaxation and hospitality are no longer important. Frequent meetings and leisurely conversations are no longer indispensable companions of friendship. Due to the fact that we live in different rhythms, meetings of friends become rare.

But here is a paradox: before, the circle of contacts was limited, today a person is oppressed by the redundancy of forced communication. This is especially noticeable in cities with high density population. We strive to isolate ourselves, to choose a secluded place in the subway, in a cafe, in the reading room of the library.

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There is simply no and cannot be a universal recipe for how to choose the right, the only true, only path in life intended for you. And the final choice always remains with the individual. We make this choice already in childhood, when we choose friends, learn to build relationships with peers, and play.

But most major decisions that determine the path of life, we still accept in youth. According to scientists, the second half of the second decade of life is the most crucial period. It is at this time that a person, as a rule, chooses the most important thing for the rest of his life: his closest friend, the circle of his main interests, his profession.

It is clear that such a choice is a responsible matter. It cannot be brushed aside, it cannot be postponed until later. You should not hope that the mistake can be corrected later: it will be in time, the whole life is ahead! Something, of course, can be corrected, changed, but not everything. And wrong decisions will not remain without consequences. After all, success comes to those who know what they want, decisively make a choice, believe in themselves and stubbornly achieve their goals.

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I was betrayed by a native person, I was betrayed best friend. Unfortunately, we hear such statements quite often. Most often betray those in whom we have invested our soul. The pattern here is this: the more beneficence, the stronger the betrayal. In such situations, the saying of Victor Hugo is recalled: "I am indifferent to the knife blows of the enemy, but the pin prick of my friend is painful to me."

Many suffer mockery of themselves, hoping that the traitor's conscience will wake up. But what is not there cannot wake up. Conscience is a function of the soul, and the traitor does not have it. The traitor usually explains his act by the interests of the cause, but in order to justify the first betrayal, he commits the second, third, and so on ad infinitum.

Betrayal completely destroys the dignity of a person, as a result, traitors behave differently. Someone defends his behavior, trying to justify his deed, someone falls into a feeling of guilt and fear of impending retribution, and someone just tries to forget everything, without burdening himself with either emotions or thoughts. In any case, the life of a traitor becomes empty, worthless and meaningless.

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There are values that change, get lost, disappear, becoming the dust of time. But no matter how society changes, eternal values remain for thousands of years, which are of great importance for people of all generations and cultures. One of these eternal values, of course, is friendship.

People very often use this word in their language, they call certain people their friends, but few people can formulate what friendship is, who is a true friend, what he should be. All definitions of friendship are similar in one thing: friendship is a relationship based on mutual openness people, full of trust and constant readiness to help each other at any moment.

The main thing is that friends have the same life values, similar spiritual guidelines, then they will be able to be friends, even if their attitude to certain phenomena of life is different. And then true friendship is not affected by time and distance. People can talk to each other only occasionally, be apart for years, and still be very close friends. Such constancy distinguishing feature real friendship.

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The word mother is a special word. It is born together with us, accompanies us in the years of growing up and maturity. It is babbled by a child in the cradle, lovingly pronounced by a young man and a deep old man. In the language of any nation there is this word, and in all languages it sounds gentle and affectionate.

Mother's place in our life is special, exceptional. We always bring our joy and pain to her and find understanding. Mother's love inspires, gives strength, inspires to exploits. In difficult life circumstances we always remember our mother, and we need only her at this moment. A man calls his mother and believes that she, wherever she is, hears him, sympathizes and hurries to help. The word mother becomes equivalent to the word life.

How many artists, composers, poets have created wonderful works about the mother. "Take care of mothers!" - proclaimed in his poem famous poet Rasul Gamzatov. Unfortunately, we realize too late that we forgot to say a lot of good and kind words to their mothers. To prevent this from happening, you need to give them joy every day and hour, because grateful children are the best gift for them.

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In a society where the idea of individualism is cultivated, many have forgotten about such things as mutual assistance and mutual assistance. Human society has just formed and continues to exist, thanks to common cause and helping the weak, thanks to the fact that each of us complements each other. And how can we now support the completely opposite point of view, which says that there are no other interests than our own? And the point here is not even that it sounds selfish, the point is that it is in this issue that personal and public interests are intertwined.

You understand how much deeper this is than it seems, because individualism destroys society, and therefore weakens each of us. And only mutual support can preserve and strengthen society.

And what is more in line with our common interests: mutual benefit or primitive selfishness? There can be no two opinions here. We must help each other if we want to live well together and not depend on anyone. And when helping people in difficult times, you don’t have to wait for gratitude, you just need to help, not looking for benefits for yourself, and then they will help you in return, of course.

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I remembered hundreds of boys' answers to the question: what kind of person do you want to become. Strong, brave, courageous, smart, resourceful, fearless ... And no one said - kind. Why is kindness not put on a par with such virtues as courage and bravery? But without kindness, genuine warmth of the heart, the spiritual beauty of a person is impossible.

And experience confirms that good feelings should be rooted in childhood. If they are not educated in childhood, you will never educate them, because they are assimilated simultaneously with the knowledge of the first and most important truths, the main of which is the value of life, someone else's, one's own, the life of the animal world and plants. Humanity, kindness, benevolence are born in unrest, joys and sorrows.

Good feelings, emotional culture are the focus of humanity. Today, when there is already enough evil in the world, we should be more tolerant, attentive and kind towards each other, towards the surrounding living world and do the most courageous deeds in the name of goodness. Following the path of goodness is the most acceptable and the only path for a person. He is tested, he is faithful, he is useful both to a person alone and to society as a whole.

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AT modern world there is no person who does not come into contact with art. Its importance in our life is great. Books, cinema, television, theatre, music, painting have firmly entered our lives and have a huge impact on it. But literature has a particularly strong effect on a person.

Contact with the world of art gives us joy and disinterested pleasure. But it would be wrong to see in the works of writers, composers, artists only a means of obtaining pleasure. Of course, we often go to the cinema, sit down to watch TV, pick up a book to relax and have fun. And the artists themselves, writers, composers build their works in such a way as to support and develop the interest and curiosity of viewers, readers, listeners. But the meaning of art in our life is much more serious. It helps a person to better see and understand the world around him and himself.

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The Great Patriotic War goes further and further into the past, but the memory of it is alive in the hearts and souls of people. Indeed, how can one forget our unprecedented feat, our irreparable sacrifices made in the name of victory over the most insidious and cruel enemy - German fascism.

The four years of war cannot be compared with any other years of our history in terms of the severity of the experience. But the memory of a person weakens over time, bit by bit the secondary disappears bit by bit: less significant and bright; and then the essential. In addition, there are fewer and fewer veterans, those who went through the war and could talk about it. If the self-sacrifice and steadfastness of the people are not reflected in documents and works of art, then the bitter experience of past years will be forgotten. And this cannot be allowed!

The theme of the Great Patriotic War has nourished literature and art for decades. A lot has been filmed about the life and feat of a person in the war. great films created wonderful works of literature. And there is no intentionality here, there is pain that does not leave the soul of the people who lost millions during the war years human lives. But the most important thing in a conversation on this topic is the preservation of measure and tact in relation to the truth of the war, to its participants, the living, but, mainly, the dead.

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What really lies in this seemingly familiar concept of friendship? Scientifically speaking, friendship is a disinterested relationship between people based on common sympathies, interests and hobbies. A true friend always there, whether it's bad for us, whether it's good. He will never try to take advantage of your weakness for his own purposes and will always come to the rescue when he is needed the most. He will not only help in trouble, but will sincerely rejoice in moments of happiness with you. But, unfortunately, such relations are gradually fading away.

Selfless friendship is slowly becoming a relic of the past. Friends now for us are people who can help in a particular issue, or those with whom you can have a good time. In fact, if one of the supposedly close friends has a crisis, the friends disappear somewhere until this crisis passes. This situation is familiar to almost everyone. In a word, profitable friendship is rapidly crowding out disinterested friendship.

We must remember that many problems that seem grandiose and frightening can be solved without much difficulty if there are reliable friends nearby. Friendship gives confidence tomorrow. It makes a person bolder, freer and more optimistic, and his life - warmer, more interesting and multifaceted. True friendship spiritually unites people, contributing to the development in them of the desire for creation, and not destruction.

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When I was in school, I thought that my adulthood will take place in some other setting, as if in a different world, and I will be surrounded by other people. But in fact, everything turned out differently. My peers stayed with me. Friends of youth turned out to be the most faithful. The circle of acquaintances has grown unusually. But real friends, old, true friends, are acquired in youth. Youth is a time of rapprochement.

Therefore, take care of youth until old age. Appreciate all the good things that you acquired in your youth, do not lose friends. Nothing acquired in youth goes unnoticed. Good youth skills make life easier. The bad ones complicate it and make it more difficult. Remember the Russian proverb: "Take care of your honor from a young age"? All the actions committed in youth remain in the memory. The good ones will make you happy. The wicked will not let you sleep.

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Many people think that being sincere means to openly and directly say what you think and do what you say. But here's the problem: a person who immediately voices what first came into his head runs the risk of being branded not only natural, but also ill-mannered, or even stupid. Rather sincere and natural person the one who knows how to be himself: take off the masks, get out of the usual roles and show his true face.

The main problem is that we do not know ourselves well, we are chasing ghostly goals, money, fashion. Few people consider it important and necessary to direct the vector of attention to their inner world. You need to look into your heart, stop and analyze your thoughts, desires and plans in order to understand what is truly mine, and what is imposed, dictated by friends, parents, society. Otherwise, you risk spending your whole life on goals that you don’t really need at all.

If you look into yourself you will see the whole world, endless and multifaceted. You will discover your characteristics and talents. You just need to study. And, of course, it will not become easier and easier for you, but it will become more interesting. You will find your life path. The only way to become sincere is to know oneself.

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Each person is looking for a place in life, trying to assert his "I". It `s naturally. But how does he find his place? What are the paths to get to it? What moral values carry weight in his eyes? The question is extremely important.

Many of us cannot admit to ourselves that because of a misunderstood, inflated sense of self-worth, because of the unwillingness to appear worse, we sometimes take rash steps, we do not act very correctly: we don’t ask again, we don’t say “I don’t know” , "I can not" - there are no words. Selfish people cause a feeling of condemnation. However, those who exchange their dignity like small coins are no better. In the life of every person, there are probably moments when he is simply obliged to show his pride, to affirm his “I”. And, of course, this is not always easy to do.

The true value of a person is revealed sooner or later anyway. And the higher this price, the more a person loves not so much himself as others. Leo Tolstoy emphasized that each of us, the so-called small ordinary person, is in fact a historical person who is responsible for the fate of the whole world.

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We just think that when something happens to us, it is unique phenomenon, the only one of its kind. In fact, there is not a single problem that has not already been reflected in world literature. Love, fidelity, jealousy, betrayal, cowardice, the search for the meaning of life - all this has already been experienced by someone, rethought, reasons, answers are found and imprinted on the pages fiction. The case is small: take it and read it and you will find everything in the book.

Literature, opening the world with the help of the word, creates a miracle, doubles, triples our inner experience, infinitely expands the view of life, of a person, makes our perception thinner. In childhood, we read fairy tales and adventures in order to experience the excitement of search and intrigue. But there comes an hour when we feel the need to open the book in order to delve into ourselves with its help. This is the hour of growing up. We are looking for an interlocutor in the book who enlightens, ennobles, teaches.

Here we are with the book. What is happening in our soul? With each book we read, which opens up the pantries of thoughts and feelings before us, we become different. With the help of literature, a person becomes a person. It is no coincidence that the book is called a teacher and a textbook of life.

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In the modern world there is no person who would not come into contact with art. Its importance in our life is great. Books, cinema, television, theatre, music, painting have firmly entered our lives and have a huge impact on it.

Art can save character traits era, to give people the opportunity to communicate with each other through decades and centuries, becoming a kind of memory repository for future generations. It imperceptibly forms the views and feelings, character, tastes of a person, awakens a love for beauty. That is why in difficult moments In life, people often turn to works of art, which become a source of spiritual strength and courage.

Conscience is the inner voice of a person that warns him against committing evil deeds. If a person still acts badly, he is tormented by remorse.

Even in ancient times, philosophers and sages thought about this voice: where does it come from and what is its nature? Various assumptions and theories have been put forward. The presence of this voice created special problems for the philosophers and scientists of the “modern time”, who see in man only a material being and deny the existence of the soul.

There were Darwinists who argued that conscience is an extra feeling that should be got rid of. It is interesting to cite the words of Hitler, who, as is known, was one of the thinkers of social Darwinism (the doctrine according to which laws natural selection and the struggle for existence, acting, according to Charles Darwin, in nature, apply to human society): "I free a person from a humiliating chimera called conscience". Hitler also said: "Conscience is an invention of the Jews."

It is clear that it is impossible to achieve a clear understanding of spiritual phenomena with the help of mere assumptions. Only God, who knows exactly the essence of spiritual phenomena, can reveal it to people.

Source of the voice of conscience

Each person is familiar with his inner voice, called conscience. So where does it come from?

The source of the voice of conscience is the initially good nature (soul) of man.God already at the very creation of man inscribed in the depths of his soul His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26). Therefore, conscience is called the voice of God in man . Being a moral law written directly on the heart of a person, it operates in all people, regardless of their age, race, upbringing and level of development. At the same time, conscience is inherent only to the “human level”, animals are subject only to their instinct.

Conscience is a person's ability to distinguish between good and evil, the basis of universal morality.

Degradation of conscience

The human conscience did not initially act alone. In man before the fall, she acted together with God Himself, who abides in the human soul by His grace. Through conscience human soul accepted the message from God, therefore the conscience is called the voice of God or the voice of the human spirit, enlightened by the Holy Spirit of God. Right action of conscience is possible only in close cooperation her with the divine grace of the Holy Spirit. Such was the human conscience before the fall .

However after the fall, the conscience was influenced by the passions , and her voice began to subside due to the diminishing effect of Divine grace. Gradually this led to hypocrisy, to the justification of human sins.

If man had not been corrupted by sin, he would not need a written law. Conscience could correctly guide all his actions. The need for a written law arose after the fall, when a person, darkened by passions, no longer clearly hears the voice of his conscience.

The restoration of the correct action of conscience is possible only under the guidance of the Divine grace of the Holy Spirit, is achievable only through a living union with God, opening faith in the God-man Jesus Christ.

Remorse

When a person listens to the voice of his conscience, he sees that this conscience speaks in him, first of all, as a judge, strict and incorruptible, evaluating all the actions and experiences of a person. And it often happens that an act is beneficial to a person, or has evoked approval from other people, and in the depths of his soul this person hears the voice of conscience: "this is not good, this is a sin ...". Those. a person in the depths of his soul feels this and suffers, regrets that he did this. This feeling of suffering is called "remorse of conscience".

When we do well, we experience peace and tranquility in the soul, and vice versa, after committing a sin, we experience reproaches of conscience. These reproaches of conscience sometimes turn into terrible torments and torments, and can bring a person to despair or loss. peace of mind if he does not restore peace and tranquility in conscience through deep and sincere repentance ...

Evil deeds cause shame, fear, grief, guilt and even despair in a person. So, for example, Adam and Eve, having tasted the forbidden fruit, felt ashamed and hid, with the intention of hiding from God (Genesis 3:7-10). Cain, having killed his younger brother Abel out of envy, began to fear that any passer-by would not kill him (Genesis 4:14). King Saul, who was persecuting the innocent David, wept with shame when he learned that David, instead of avenging him for the evil, spared his life (1 Sam. 26 ch.).

There is an opinion that separation from the Creator is the root of all suffering in the world, therefore conscience is the most nightmarish and painful experience of a person.

But conscience does not infringe on the free will of a person . It only indicates what is good and what is evil, and the business of a person is to incline his will to the first or second, having received from the conscience the information necessary for this. For this moral choice the person is responsible.

If a person does not follow his conscience and does not listen to it, then gradually "his conscience is covered with a layer of scale, and he becomes insensible." He sins, and at the same time, nothing special seems to happen to him. A person who has lulled his conscience, drowned out its voice with lies and the darkness of stubborn sin, is often called shameless. The Word of God calls such stubborn sinners people with a burnt conscience; their state of mind is extremely dangerous, and can be disastrous for the soul.

Freedom of conscience

Freedom of conscience - this is the freedom of a person's moral and ethical views (i.e. what is considered good and evil, virtue or meanness, a good or bad deed, honest or dishonest behavior, etc.).

In France, the principle of freedom of conscience was first proclaimed in Article 10 of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen (1789), which formed the basis of the legislation of the French state in the era of bourgeois revolutions. Freedom of conscience, among other human freedoms, was proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948, and in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 1966. In 1981, the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and discrimination based on religion or belief. As a constitutional freedom, freedom of conscience is enshrined in Art. 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

The understanding (and demand) of freedom in the aspect of religious relations in different historical situations was filled with different content. Freedom of conscience begins with the recognition of the right to "internal convictions". Here there is a substitution of concepts - freedom of conscience is replaced by freedom of belief. Legally, freedom of conscience is understood as the right of citizens to profess any religion or not to profess any religion.

However, many are sickened by the concept of "freedom of conscience." To formally designate the possibility of a person to have any conviction, the term “freedom of belief” should serve, and to designate the ability to profess any religion, the term “freedom of religion” should be used. The concept of "freedom of conscience" discredits conscience as a moral category, because it gives it the character of optionality and moral irresponsibility.

Conscience is the universal moral law

Conscience is the inner moral law of every person. There is no doubt that the moral law is embedded in the very nature of man. This is evidenced by the undoubted universality in humanity of the concepts of morality. Through this law, God directs all human life and activities.

So, every person, whoever he may be, a Jew, a Christian, a Muslim or a pagan, feels peace, joy and satisfaction when he does good, and, on the contrary, feels anxiety, sorrow and oppression when he does evil.

In short, conscience is the voice of God in man. Man's will to listen to that voice or turn away from it.

At the coming terrible judgment, God will judge people not only according to their faith, but also according to the testimony of their conscience. Therefore, as the Apostle Paul teaches, even the Gentiles can be saved if their conscience testifies before God of their virtuous life. In general, sinners, both believers and non-believers, subconsciously feel responsible for their actions. Thus, according to the prophetic words of Christ, sinners before the end of the world, seeing the approach of the righteous judgment of God, will ask the earth to swallow them up, and the mountains to cover them (Luke 23:30, Rev. 6:16). A criminal may escape another human judgment, but he will never escape the judgment of his own conscience. That is why the Last Judgment frightens us, because our conscience, which knows all our deeds, will act as our accuser and accuser.

Material prepared by Sergey SHULYAK