Discernment is the ability to identify and distinguish through reflection and feeling:
- true from false (distorted, incomplete, misleading)
- the just from the unjust
- allowing the forbidden (learning limits)
- objective (facts) from subjective (opinions, beliefs, hypotheses, prejudices)
- the good from the bad, and more precisely, what could cause harm in the long term, whereas it seems to be doing good now (violent words, exclusions, addictions, etc.).
- what is manipulative and demagogic and what is presented with no hidden agenda
- and, more generally, the long-term consequences of what seems inconsequential at the time.
To discern is to see more than the eyes can see, to hear more than words can say, to feel more than our five senses can grasp. It means glimpsing what is still veiled, perceiving possible future consequences.
Discernment is like a lantern in the fog, shedding light on what still seems inconspicuous in the actions, gestures, feelings and influences around us.
Sensitive discernment enables us to see with the heart what cannot be seen with cognitive discernment. It allows us to observe and be attentive to what others feel and think, which is often not apparent at first glance.
- The heart is the only way to see clearly, what is essential is invisible to the eye,
The Little Prince, Saint Exupéry, 1943.
Please note:
Discernment is one of the key skills of critical thinking. It is a psychosocial skill. It is also an essential peace skill:
It enables us to recognize at a very early stage what will arouse the anger of a person or a community, and what will lead to conflict and confrontation. It enables us to perceive those who have a positive or negative influence on a situation that could lead to appeasement or confrontation.
Go deeper:
- See in the dictionary: peacemaking skills and critical thinking skills.
- See quotes on discernment.