Discernment Question

[kerebos]

In my time lurking the boards here, I’ve noticed a lot of people “discerning”. That particular word gets used a lot more on this board that I’ve ever seen it used outside here, even in Catholic contexts. The more I see it the more I feel like Inigo Montoya – That word… I do not think it means what you think it means.

I understand the meaning in its spiritual context. For example, if somebody trying to discern if the priesthood is right for them, I would agree that this usage makes sense. The person is taking stock of the pros and cons of the vocation and whether they have the spiritual fortitude to handle it. Similarly, one could apply the concept to marriage. Both of these are spiritual vocations, and discerning God’s desires in relation to these choices makes logical sense.

The problem comes when I see the word used in more mundane situations. A person discerning appropriate foods to eat, or discerning what movies or entertainment to enjoy, or discerning what clothes to wear, just doesn’t seem to fit the same definition as those above. In these cases it seems like the person is more interested in justifying a decision rather than discerning some spiritual truth about it.

The unfortunate side effect is that that word has kinda lost its meaning to me. There are times I see a post about somebody discerning something relatively minor and I can’t take the question seriously. It may have been a serious, legitimate question, but using the buzzword has distracted me too much.

Am I the only one who feels like this, or have other people noticed this too?

 

[Peggy_in_Burien]

Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition:

Discern: (1)a: to detect with the eyes; b: to detect with senses other than vision.
(2) to recognize or identify as separate and distinct: discriminate.
(3) to come to know or recognize mentally; to see or understand the
difference.

**Discerning:**showing insight and understanding: discriminating.

Discernment: (1) the quality of being able to grasp and comprehend what is
obscure: skill in discerning.
(2) an act of discerning.

To me, the use of the word “discern” or “discerning” is merely showing a larger vocabulary than using the word “think” or “thinking” over and over. Maybe the person “discerning” is really doing deeper thinking that the word “think” would imply.

It is rather like the word “vocation.” When I was a child in pre-Vatican II Catholic schools, I was taught that the word “vocation” only applied to priests and monks/nuns/brothers/sisters. Only when I was older, was it pointed out to me that marriage is also a “vocation.”

You might have a pet peeve about the “over use” of the word “discern,” but I believe it is being used properly according to the dictionary.

My opinion for what it’s worth.:coffeeread:

 

[Marinella]

I think you are correct in that on a Catholic forum “discern” is usually associated with a spiritual struggle or decision.

 

[DBT]

Generally speaking, “discernment” is a spiritual proccess/approach applied to major life decisions … a vocation, job change etc. The spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius is one good example of this. The goal is to discern our attitudes, motivations etc in relation to the peace (or lack thereof) that flows from something big we’re trying to decide. Much more to it than this as I’m just glossing over …

This type of discernment imo, however, is not meant to be applied to the mundane day-to-day life choices we make each and everyday. Here - again imo - the goal is to learn to live in the present moment and “hear” all those little promptings to love that come to us when we lead recollected lives. For example, to say a kind word or lend a helping hand. We should obey these impulses promptly and generously when we first notice them.

Fr. de Caussade discusses this at length in his classic work “Abandonment to Divine Providence.” In short, God doesn’t care if in this present moment we eat a cheeseburger or mop the floor … provided love of God and neighbor is in our mind and heart when we are doing it. Then, we can rest assured that we are doing God’s will in all the mundane duties of our daily lives. This is also the essence of the Little Way.

Two very different types of discernment for different situations.

Dave