Discernment

Hypomnemata

Neither foolish nor judgmental.

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Do not wave your hand so flippantly. You do not know the intent and innermost thoughts of the other person. Ask, inquire, try to understand and communicate with them. You do not naturally have extrasensory perception and you must talk to others to be able to discern what they think and feel.

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To discern means to observe, and to notice, and to contemplate. You cannot discern what Nature intends for you, unless you observe. Things are they way they are; contemplate this: cause and effect and existence itself.

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How can you discern others' thoughts, perceptions, judgements when you often fail to grasp what is in your own tumultuous soul? Sit still; observe; breathe - there is a river within.

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Will your daimon ever speak to you? Will you listen?

Thoughts

When my life was chaotic and I felt quite helpless, I reached out to someone who could help me see a better way. Had I been left to my own devices, I perhaps would have squandered more time in anxiety and fear. We ought to engage in dialogue with other people, so that we learn. But we ought to seek the counsel of wise people so that we can improve.

Once I began the process of sharing my thoughts and inner dialogue with the therapist, she helped me pivot to a different perspective. She helped me to discern perceived threats from real ones. I had established the habit of seeing perceived threats everywhere, to the point I became self-paralyzed. She coached me out of that situation and pointed me in the right direction.

These days, I spend time with Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Musonius Rufus and other philosophers. I spend time contemplating what is wise and what is not. And I spend time trying to discern the thoughts of others by talking with them and sharing my perceptions of the world. Perhaps together, we can figure out a wise course of action.

Quotes

Look into their directing minds: observe what even the wise will avoid or pursue (Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 4.38).

Observe the movement of the stars as if you were running their courses with them, and let your mind constantly dwell on the changes of the elements into each other. Such imaginings wash away the filth of life on the ground (Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 7.47).

All the time you should consider who are these people whose endorsement you wish, and what are the minds that direct them. When you look into the sources of their judgement and impulse, you will not blame their unwitting error, nor will you feel the need of their endorsement (Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 7.62).

What need of prompt or hint when it is open to yourself to discern what needs to be done - and, if you can see your way, to follow it with kind but undeviating intent. If you cannot see the way, hold back and consult your best advisers. If some other factors obstruct this advice, proceed on your present resources, but with cautious deliberation, keeping always to what seems just. Justice is the best aim, as any failure is in fact a failure of justice. A man following reason in all things combines relaxation with initiative, spark with composure (Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 10.12).

The salvation of life lies in seeing each object in its essence and its entirety, discerning both the material and the causal: in applying one's whole soul to doing right and speaking the truth. There remains only the enjoyment of living a linked succession of good deeds, with not the slightest gap between them (Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 12.29).

But God has brought the human race into the world to be a spectator of himself and of his works, and not merely to observe them, but also to interpret them (Epictetus, Discourses 1.6.19)

[7] Consider, now, you’re able to reflect upon the divine governing order and every operation of the divine, as well as upon human affairs; and you have the capacity to be moved by countless things all at once, both in your senses and in your intelligence, and in such a way as to give your assent to some, and to reject others, or to suspend judgement; [8] and to preserve in your mind so many impressions from so many diverse objects, in such a way that when moved by them, your mind comes to conceive ideas that correspond to the impressions that were originally made on it, and so from these countless objects, you derive and preserve the arts, one after another, and also memories (Epictetus, Discourses 1.14.7-8).

[103] And then, when you’ve received everything from another, even your very self, will you complain and cast reproaches on the giver if he takes something away from you? [104] Who are you, and for what purpose have you come here? Wasn’t it he who brought you here? Wasn’t it he who showed you the light? Wasn’t it he who gave you companions to work together with you? And senses too? And reason? And as what kind of being did he bring you here? Wasn’t it as one who is mortal? Wasn’t it as one who would live on the earth with a small portion of flesh, and would observe his governing order, and would accompany him in his procession and take part in his festival for a short period of time? [105] Aren’t you willing, then, after having beheld his pageant and festival* for the time that is granted to you, to take your leave when he conducts you away, after having first paid obeisance to him and having thanked him for all that you’ve heard and seen? ‘No, but I wanted to continue to take part in the festival.’ (Epictetus Discourses 4.1.103-105).

You do not seem, when you say this, to know the strength and power of that good which you are considering. You do indeed grasp the all-important thing, the great benefit which philosophy confers, but you do not yet discern accurately its various functions, nor do you yet know how great is the help we receive from philosophy in everything, everywhere, – how, (to use Cicero's language) it not only succours us in the greatest matters but also descends to the smallest. Take my advice; call wisdom into consultation; she will advise you not to sit for ever at your ledger (Seneca, Moral Letters 17).

Citations and further reading

Aurelius, M., & Hammond, M. (2014). Meditations.

Epictetus, ., Hard, R., & Gill, C. (2014). Discourses, fragments, handbook. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Seneca, L. A., & Gummere, R. M. (1917). Ad Lucilium epistulae morales: London: Heinemann.