Principles: Discernment

The following cards (#13-30) are additional spiritual principles and practices that can be essential in recovery.

Opossum “playing possum”

          Discernment is the ability to see clearly and objectively. What prevents us from perceiving our experiences and circumstances in this way?

• Wishful thinking – We want something desperately to be as we desire; we long for it and deny what is actually there.
• Opinionated thinking – Our biases, prejudices, and preferences can keep us from seeing a complete picture; we wear blinders that filter out what we don’t agree with.
• Emotional thinking – Intensely felt emotions can make us see in shades of one color only, effectively shutting off the logical, reasonable part of our brain. 

In the long run, it is for more dangerous to adhere to illusion than to face what the actual fact is. 
~ David Bohm

For more information on discernment, see this post.