Prompt: Is conscience a more powerful motivator than money, fame, or power?
In today’s society, a great deal of importance is placed on riches and fame. We closely follow the lives of celebrities in reality TV shows and play the lottery in hopes of striking gold. Students’ role models are often the wealthy, well-known, and powerful. However, worldly wealth is not always of the greatest importance. The story of Reszo Kasztner during World War II and Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables show that conscience is often a more powerful motivator than tangible wealth.
During the Holocaust of WWII, millions of Jews and other minorities were coerced into ghettos and concentration camps by the German Third Reich. These prisons and forced labor camps wrought destruction on their inhabitants: many people died in captivity due to starvation, overwork, and disease. Reszo Kasztner saw these brutal conditions and took action to alleviate some of the prisoners’ suffering. Kasztner bargained with the Nazis, including Adolf Eichmann himself, to buy hundreds of Hungarian Jews’ freedom. Eichmann agreed to free these prisoners in exchange for money and resources promised by Kasztner. While Kasztner saved hundreds of Jews’ lives in this bargain, his countrymen later accused him of “selling his soul to the devil” by negotiating with the Nazis. He lived in isolation and infamy and was eventually assassinated by a radical who was displeased with Kasztner’s actions. While Kasztner never gained recognition or fame for his heroic actions, his conscience inspired him to save the lives of the Jews he could spare while sacrificing his own reputation.
Another example of the victory of conscience over power is displayed in Victor Hugo’s novel Les Miserables. The main character of the novel, Jean Valjean, is a convict who has escaped the galleys where he was sentenced. Concealing his identity as a criminal, Valjean built a reputation as a kind man and philanthropist, eventually becoming the mayor of a small town on the basis of his good deeds. However, in the midst of Valjean’s mayorhood and power, he received news that a man perceived to be Jean Valjean had been caught and was going to be sent to the galleys. The real Valjean seemingly had a miraculous opportunity to clear his name. Instead, he followed his conscience. Valjean turned himself in to spare the man, forfeiting the power he had acquired in order to do the right thing and save an innocent life.
While riches and status can be tempting, both history and literature have shown that, ultimately, people follow their conscience above all else. Humanity’s willingness to sacrifice fame and power for the “right thing” has often persevered over worldly temptations, proving that our conscience prevails.
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