Yahoo News has recently published and article by Annmarie Caño, professor of psychology at Wayne State University. In the article, she explains the method Basque saint Ignatius of Loyola created in the 16th century that can help us, even today, to make life’s big decisions.
We were told something similar by Paul Almeida, Dean of the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business, who defined St. Ignatius as the “the patron saint of modern management“.
Dr. Caño shares how as a clinical psychologist, she became familiar with Ignatian discernment during an internship program in spirituality, adapting the method and incorporating it into her research on full attention and other reflective practices. While she states St. Ignatius uses the language of faith, his method can still be applied to any decision making, because the method can be applied by people of all faiths, or even those who have none.
In her article, Annmarie Caño covers the main characteristics of this method, and finishes her article with an interesting reflection: “In today’s hurried world, a 16th-century Catholic mystics’ advice may seem quaint or his process tedious. However, many modern psychological approaches confirm the value of such reflective practices.”
We’ll leave you with the link to Annmarie Caño‘s article and body of academic work.
Yahoo News – 28/6/2020 – USA
What a 16th-century mystic can teach us about making good decisions
Decision-making is a complex process. As individuals, working through our daily lives, we often take a number of shortcuts that may not always serve us well. For example, we make impulsive decisions when stressed or allow others to make them for us, at times with disappointing or disastrous consequences.
But most of us can do better. 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.
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Annmarie Caño – Google Scholar
Department of Psychology, Wayne State University
Header photo: Sculpture of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuit order, on the campus of Boston College. Jay Yuan/Shutterstock.com
Last Updated on Dec 20, 2020 by About Basque Country
