Nice word, isn't it? I agree that the parent poster's usage is unconventional, but I quite naturally interpret it as: conscience dictates that sloppy thinking,

Nice word, isn't it? I agree that the parent poster's usage is unconventional, but I quite naturally interpret it as: conscience dictates that sloppy thinking, disingenuous arguments, and self-delusion are to be avoided; that one has a moral duty to reason correctly on the basis of available perceptions and knowledge, and pursue true conclusions even if it's to one's own detriment. Stands to reason that being inherently motivated towards that sort of thing improves one's capacity for abstract thought, and thus effective action in complex domains. In the computer metaphor, intelligence would be how much RAM you have, while conscientiousness would be how often your CPU has a glitch and performs an incorrect computation due to "overclocking", i.e. burdening your mind with self-serving yet ultimately unproductive cognitions.