On Conviction

Conviction is perhaps one of the more abstract of the abstract concepts. Its not necessarily a trait possessed, but a conscious act one does. In that case, it nearly becomes a virtue. One may call conviction the attention paid to follow through. If one begins an action, they go all the way through it until the end (or ad nauseum depending on the situation), regardless of good or bad circumstance. That, at least is my personal definition.

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary claims conviction as:

“The state of being convinced or convicted; strong persuasion or belief; especially, the state of being convicted of sin, or by one’s conscience.”

“To call good evil, and evil good, against the conviction of their own consciences.” –Swift.

And the Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary cites conviction as:

“A strong belief.”

Its agreeable, then, that conviction is a matter of thought. There are technicalities in such concepts as honesty, and virtue, but one either has conviction, or lacks it. I try my best to be one of conviction. If I give my word, it is my bond, and I strongly refuse known convention for my own personal liking of what I consider right. I don’t drive a car, for instance, and often wince at getting rides. I’d rather deal with the slower, and more strenuous transportation of bicycling, because I do not wish to be part of the cycle of pollution.