The examination of conscience is an essential part of the spiritual life.
All intelligent people make a periodic self-assessment.
Our purpose here is to speak of the daily examen of conscience which is recommended by all the writers of the spiritual life. For most people, the examination of conscience is part of their preparation for their reception of the Sacrament of Penance. However, our focus here is rather on what we technically call the examen of conscience. This is a daily prayerful reflection on our service of God. There are two basic examens of conscience.