--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Don't go growing a conscience on me,\" I…" description: "\"Don't go growing a conscience on me,\" I said. \"I've been down that road. It doesn't lead you to anything good.\" — Michael Connelly" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff3/michael-connelly-1004_conscience_don-t-go-growing-a-conscience-on-me-i-sa_2063915.jpg" --- # Don't go growing a conscience on me," I said. "I've been… ![“Don't go growing a conscience on me," I said. "I've been down that road. It doesn't lead you to anything good.” quote by Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff3/michael-connelly-1004_conscience_don-t-go-growing-a-conscience-on-me-i-sa_2063915.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff3/michael-connelly-1004_conscience_don-t-go-growing-a-conscience-on-me-i-sa_2063915.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff3/michael-connelly-1004_conscience_don-t-go-growing-a-conscience-on-me-i-sa_2063915.jpg) > “Don't go growing a conscience on me," I said. "I've been down that road. It doesn't lead you to anything good.” [Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A conscience can mislead; past experience shows it often leads to negative outcomes. **In simple terms:** Conscience may be harmful. Key Takeaway Question your inner voice. Themes self-doubt morality experience Mood cautious reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - personal decisions - ethical dilemmas - career choices Key Concepts psychology literature Questions to Reflect On - When has conscience saved you? - How to balance conscience and practicality? A Different Perspective Conscience can also protect against wrongdoing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience/) [Conscience Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience-said-726694/) [Ethics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics/) [Growing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing/) [Growing Conscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-conscience-3951560/) [Lead Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lead-good-933194/) [Road Doesn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/road-doesn-904112/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) ## Related quotes > [“The trouble with having a conscience, she said to herself, is that it never sleeps.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/the-trouble-with-having-a-conscience-she-said-to-herself-is-that-it/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“I may be a slut, but I'm a slut who is growing a conscience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-rebeck/i-may-be-a-slut-but-i-m-a-slut-who-is-growing-a-conscience/) [Theresa Rebeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theresa-rebeck/) > [By God and upon my conscience, said the devil, I never observed it, for my mind is occupied with so many different things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/by-god-and-upon-my-conscience-said-the-devil-i-never-observed-it-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I’m not going to faint at the sight of your butt,’ she said. ‘Ya might, and I don’t want that on my conscience,’ he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jana-oliver/i-m-not-going-to-faint-at-the-sight-of-your-butt-she-said-ya-might/) [Jana Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jana-oliver/) > [“And as always, it is surprisingly small, as the voice of the conscience is said to be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-lee/and-as-always-it-is-surprisingly-small-as-the-voice-of-the-conscience/) [Andrea Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-lee/) > [I'm trying to lead a good Christian life, so there ain't too much spicy to tell about me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loretta-lynn/i-m-trying-to-lead-a-good-christian-life-so-there-ain-t-too-much/) [Loretta Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loretta-lynn/) > [Songwriting is a give-and-take process, and it can lead to some good, healthy debates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richie-sambora/songwriting-is-a-give-and-take-process-and-it-can-lead-to-some-good/) [Richie Sambora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richie-sambora/) > [Everything we do has a result. But that which is right and prudent does not always lead to good, nor the contrary to what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/everything-we-do-has-a-result-but-that-which-is-right-and-prudent/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [“A lead is good not because it dances, fires cannons, or whistles like a train but because it is absolute to what follows.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcphee/a-lead-is-good-not-because-it-dances-fires-cannons-or-whistles-like-a/) [John McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcphee/) > [“Anywhere you can lead your life, you can lead a good one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/anywhere-you-can-lead-your-life-you-can-lead-a-good-one/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [I don't know of any wrong road to Dictionopolis, so if this road goes to Dictionopolis at all it must be the right road,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norton-juster/i-don-t-know-of-any-wrong-road-to-dictionopolis-so-if-this-road-goes/) [Norton Juster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norton-juster/) > [“Too often we post mile markers to convince ourselves of a road that doesn’t exist and a journey that we’re not on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/too-often-we-post-mile-markers-to-convince-ourselves-of-a-road-that/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/just-because-they-re-not-on-your-road-doesn-t-mean-they-ve-gotten-lost/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [People take different roads seeking fulfilment and happiness. Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-take-different-roads-seeking-fulfilment-and-happiness-just/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [But this road doesn't go anywhere,” I told him. “That doesn't matter.” “What does?” I asked, after a little while. “Just that we're on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/but-this-road-doesn-t-go-anywhere-i-told-him-that-doesn-t-matter-what/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) ## More by Michael Connelly > [It's about being fair. It's about Black Lives Matter. Yes, they matter. Everybody counts or nobody counts, and I think if more cops had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/it-s-about-being-fair-it-s-about-black-lives-matter-yes-they-matter/) [Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/) > [“Someone’s coming.” Terry McCaleb looked at his wife and then followed her eyes down to the winding road below. He could see the golf…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/someone-s-coming-terry-mccaleb-looked-at-his-wife-and-then-followed/) [Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/) > [I love movies. Movies have influenced me as a writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/i-love-movies-movies-have-influenced-me-as-a-writer/) [Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/) > [“There is no end of things in the heart. Somebody once told me that. She said it came from a poem she believed in.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/there-is-no-end-of-things-in-the-heart-somebody-once-told-me-that-she/) [Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/) > [I chose deliberately for Harry Bosch to age chronologically with the books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/i-chose-deliberately-for-harry-bosch-to-age-chronologically-with-the/) [Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/) > [“Are you okay?” he asked. “I’m fine, yeah,” she said. She wiped tears off her cheeks. “Somebody who totally fucked me over died today,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/are-you-okay-he-asked-i-m-fine-yeah-she-said-she-wiped-tears-off-her/) [Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/) > [“At the bottom of the hill, after Boston College, the route passes St. Ignatius Church on the right. It was here that textile worker…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/at-the-bottom-of-the-hill-after-boston-college-the-route-passes-st/) [Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/) > [“He said no. He said, in very fine English, ‘I buy, I don’t sell.’ Then he escorted me out. But I think that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/he-said-no-he-said-in-very-fine-english-i-buy-i-don-t-sell-then-he/) [Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/) > [“Living in L.A. sometimes felt like you were riding shotgun with the devil to the apocalypse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/living-in-l-a-sometimes-felt-like-you-were-riding-shotgun-with-the/) [Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/) > [“The paying jobs were few and she was often taken advantage of by the leeches who were part of the entertainment industry. But she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/the-paying-jobs-were-few-and-she-was-often-taken-advantage-of-by-the/) [Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/) > [“Lean in, invade that foot and a half that is all theirs, their own space. Lean back when you get what you want. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/lean-in-invade-that-foot-and-a-half-that-is-all-theirs-their-own/) [Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/) > [I have a large collection of biographies about jazz musicians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/i-have-a-large-collection-of-biographies-about-jazz-musicians/) [Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/) > [I was fired as an actor on 'Bosch.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/i-was-fired-as-an-actor-on-bosch/) [Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/) > [Maybe it has something to do with being a reporter for a long time that I don't look to newspapers and television and so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/maybe-it-has-something-to-do-with-being-a-reporter-for-a-long-time/) [Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/) > [I was enamored of detectives as a teenager. I liked what they did - piecing things together, thinking about situations. But to get there?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/i-was-enamored-of-detectives-as-a-teenager-i-liked-what-they-did/) [Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/) [Explore all 306 Michael Connelly quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/) ## More Conscience quotes > [Self-respect and a clear conscience are powerful components of integrity and are the basis for enriching your relationships with others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-waitley/self-respect-and-a-clear-conscience-are-powerful-components-of/) [Denis Waitley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-waitley/) > [“Knowledge without conscience is but the ruin of the soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabelaise/knowledge-without-conscience-is-but-the-ruin-of-the-soul/) [Rabelaise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabelaise/) > [Writing adds up to the conscience of our times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-firrell/writing-adds-up-to-the-conscience-of-our-times/) [Martin Firrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-firrell/) > [My conscience is really active. So I feel bad about spending excess amount of money on things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd/my-conscience-is-really-active-so-i-feel-bad-about-spending-excess/) [Syd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd/) > [Let us be thankful for health and competence, and, above all, for a quiet conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/izaak-walton/let-us-be-thankful-for-health-and-competence-and-above-all-for-a/) [Izaak Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/izaak-walton/) > [Making money doesn't oblige people to forfeit their honor or their conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-rothschild/making-money-doesn-t-oblige-people-to-forfeit-their-honor-or-their/) [Guy de Rothschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-rothschild/) > [“If we cannot be happy and powerful and prey on others, we invent conscience and prey on ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/if-we-cannot-be-happy-and-powerful-and-prey-on-others-we-invent/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [The God in whose hands are all our days and ways, did cast into my hand one day a book of Martin Luthers; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/the-god-in-whose-hands-are-all-our-days-and-ways-did-cast-into-my/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [My morals are important to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-parrish/my-morals-are-important-to-me/) [Hunter Parrish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-parrish/) > [Being tolerant does not mean that I share another ones belief. But it does mean that I acknowledge another ones right to believe, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-frankl/being-tolerant-does-not-mean-that-i-share-another-ones-belief-but-it/) [Viktor Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-frankl/) > [Never can true courage dwell with them, Who, playing tricks with conscience, dare not look At their own vices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/never-can-true-courage-dwell-with-them-who-playing-tricks-with/) [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/) > [In presenting a mathematical argument the great thing is to give the educated reader the chance to catch on at once to the momentary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edensor-littlewood/in-presenting-a-mathematical-argument-the-great-thing-is-to-give-the/) [John Edensor Littlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edensor-littlewood/) > [I've worked with people who are much further to the left than I am and much further to the right than I am. At…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hanks/i-ve-worked-with-people-who-are-much-further-to-the-left-than-i-am/) [Tom Hanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hanks/) > [If all the world hated you and believed you wicked, while your own conscience approved of you and absolved you from guilt, you would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/if-all-the-world-hated-you-and-believed-you-wicked-while-your-own/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [ \[D\]on't grow old. With age comes caution, which is another name for cowardice… Whatever else you do in life, don't cultivate a conscience. Without… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesketh-pearson/d-on-t-grow-old-with-age-comes-caution-which-is-another-name-for/) [Hesketh Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesketh-pearson/) [Browse all 3,490 Conscience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Don't go growing a conscience on me,\" I said. \"I've been down that road. It doesn't lead you to anything good.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Connelly" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/don-t-go-growing-a-conscience-on-me-i-said-i-ve-been-down-that-road/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Conscience" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/don-t-go-growing-a-conscience-on-me-i-said-i-ve-been-down-that-road/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff3/michael-connelly-1004_conscience_don-t-go-growing-a-conscience-on-me-i-sa_2063915.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff3/michael-connelly-1004_conscience_don-t-go-growing-a-conscience-on-me-i-sa_2063915.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff3/michael-connelly-1004_conscience_don-t-go-growing-a-conscience-on-me-i-sa_2063915.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Don't go growing a conscience on me,\" I said. \"I've been down that road. It doesn't lead you to anything good.” — Michael Connelly", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Michael Connelly", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Don't go growing a conscience on...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/don-t-go-growing-a-conscience-on-me-i-said-i-ve-been-down-that-road/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/don-t-go-growing-a-conscience-on-me-i-said-i-ve-been-down-that-road/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```