By Dr Annmarie Cano, PhD, Wayne State University — The Conversation, 7 July 2022
Among the many decision-making methods for life’s big decisions, one that stands out is from an early 16th-century soldier-turned-mystic, St Ignatius of Loyola. Ignatius, born in 1493 in the Basque area of Spain, suffered a grievous leg wound in battle and during months of recovery and reflection realised that pursuing worldly honour was not as fulfilling as doing the work of God. His spiritual insights formed the basis of ‘Spiritual Exercises,’ a program of prayerful self-examination. With two University of Paris colleagues, he was given approval by the Vatican in 1540 to found the Society of Jesus — the Jesuits, known for their work in education and for running guided retreats. Ignatius also developed a method of discernment or decision-making that is still relevant today and can be adapted to people of all faiths or those who are not religious.
Ignatius’s decision-making approach involves three key elements: (1) Rely on reason and feelings — create a list of pros and cons, but also listen to your feelings as you consider each option. Emotions act as compass points to one’s deepest desires. He advises probing the origin of feelings to find out if they come from desires for power or greed, fear of what others may think, or a desire to do good. Freedom from attachment to a particular choice or outcome is essential; (2) Imaginative reflection — Ignatius offers three exercises if no clear choice emerges: imagine that a friend comes to you with the same situation and consider what advice you would give; imagine that you are on your deathbed and looking back, how do you view the decision; and imagine a conversation with the divine or a trusted, deceased person — what would they say about your options? (3) Seek confirmation — act on reason with confidence that you have invested your time and energy to make a good choice, then look for additional information to see if reason confirms the choice. The emotions you feel following a decision — such as peace, freedom, joy, love or compassion — might give an indication if it is the right choice. This article has been republished under Creative Commons licence.