Another important foundational concept in discernment of spirits is what Ignatius calls “indifference.” This is a tricky, often misunderstood term that deserves a detailed explanation.
The first step when using the discernment process to make a decision is developing an attitude of indifference to the outcome. Ignatius means something very specific with this term. It doesn’t mean you are unconcerned or think the choice is unimportant. Instead, it implies a type of mental freedom. Mark Thibodeaux explains why this is a critical part of the process, “Why is indifference so important to discernment? If I set out to make a decision without indifference, I’ll unconsciously be steering my discernment toward the option I want. Why discern at all if I’m not actually open to more than one possibility?”1 (Ignatius acknowledges a particular case of discernment when there is no doubt about what path to follow – more on that later.)
This is easier said than done. Often, it’s impossible to have complete indifference in our hearts. Ignatius acknowledges that indifference is truly a gift from God – we can’t manufacture it by ourselves. But even if we don’t have indifference of heart, we can pray for it and work for indifference of the will. This means that although we don’t feel indifferent, we decide to choose the path of indifference. Although we may initially prefer one option, we choose to set it aside at the start of the discernment process and be open to all the possibilities. This can help us discover additional choices we have yet to consider. If we’re not indifferent, we’re less likely to be fully open to all possibilities and may never see some of our options.
Note that our preferences and inclinations towards a specific option aren’t bad- they could come from the true spirit. Therefore, these are considered later during the discernment process. But initially, striving for indifference puts us in the right mindset to consider all our choices.
A Closing Prayer
God, indifference may be a good stance to have in discernment, but it isn’t a mindset that comes easily! Sometimes, the best I can do is to pray for Your help. Often, I need help in wanting to develop indifference because I have mixed feelings about this. I know I can’t ever achieve this without Your grace. So, I will strive for indifference as much as possible and trust that You are also helping me.
Amen
Footnotes
- Mark E. Thibodeaux, SJ, God’s Voice Within – The Ignatian Way to Discover God’s Will (Chicago IL: Loyola Press, 2010), 147. ↩︎
Falling Up After 50 
never thought i would be wishing/praying for ” an attitude of indifference” – very insightful. thank you! without God’s help we can never truly know/escape all of our ingrained biases… He knows me better than I know myself.
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Ignatian indifference is definitely a challenge! It usually surprises me how attached I can be to certain choices, even when I think I’m being open to all of them.
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I think your closing prayer eloquently captures my feelings. I would’ve written, “Uh….no way I can do this.” Certainly food for thought and action.
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Just checking that indifference means being open to decisions based on discernment. Which can be a choice you never thought you would make like out of your comfort zone. Did i understand indifference you described?
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Yes, indifference means being open to a choice that might be out of your comfort zone rather than initially discarding it. So you consider that choice (along with other choices that might initially seem more appealing) in the discernment process. It might not be the choice you ultimately discern is the best for you, but you might also be surprised!
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