Heart, Intelligence and Will

In the search for what is really important, heart and reason are not incompatible. Will also has its place. Discernment presupposes a whole balance between these three human facilities.

Experience shows us that not every pleasant feeling is a reliable signpost. Conversely, it turns out that unpleasant feelings can sometimes point the way to greater happiness. What do you do when you are in crisis and you yo-yo from one feeling to another and back again? Is discernment something that is practised only at major stages of life? Or is it something you can also do in everyday life? What do you do when you disagree with your loved ones about a particular problem and yet you have to come to a decision? As a parent, how can you help your child to discern? Can you discern when in doubt?

Excerpted from Trust Your Feelings by Nikolaas Sintobin SJ (p.11)