Definitions
Discernment, in its most basic form, is the ability to distinguish the difference between one thing and another. Discernment is related to intelligence. An individual who could not tell the difference between a golf cart and an automobile wouldn’t be intelligent enough to function in society. A politician who suppresses free speech in the name of “democracy” understands neither concept.
My wonderful old Webster’s New College Dictionary, copyright 1962, shows the etymology (the linguistic origin) of the word discern. It comes from the Middle English discernen, which came from the Old French discerner, which came from the Latin word discernere, dis (apart) + cernere, (to separate).
“1. to separate (a thing) mentally from another or others; recognize as separate or different.
“2. to perceive or recognize; make out clearly.
“discern implies a making out or a recognizing something visually or mentally.”
There are two aspects to discernment. The first, described in Definition 2, is seeing something clearly for what it is. This allows for a comparison between one thing and another. The ability to compare two or more things is dependent on recognizing the differences between them, as well as the ways in which they are similar.
A person who couldn’t tell the difference between a Porsche and a Cadillac has little discernment on the subject of cars. A politician who insists that all entrants to his public rally show ID, and who then speaks and votes against voter ID, cannot recognize the obvious similarities between the two situations.
The word nuance means the ability to see or recognize even very slight differences or similarities between two things or situations. In society, nuanced thinking is critical because otherwise we are reduced to either-or situations where there are only two choices. There may be a world of alternative (and better) choices in between the two options.
Anti-social personalities attempt to reduce complex problems to two choices, phrased in a way to generate conflict. “If you favor voter ID you support voter suppression!” Mind-numbing, dualistic idiocies like this are phrased to promote one outcome and generate social chaos.
Those with discernment are often attacked
Humanity has a problem with psychopathy, which I have been writing about in previous articles. I am convinced that the anti-social personality is the foremost difficulty facing our species (and has been throughout history).
Psychopaths attack anyone with discernment. That’s because intelligent people are able to recognize lies, half-truths, propaganda, and Narratives for what they are: attempts to hide, obscure, and twist what is.
A sense of anxiety overcomes the psychopath when he or she understands that they are in the presence of a discerning person. The psychopath fears that a discerning person is able to see through their lies and recognize their desire for power and control over others. Consequently, a psychopath will ruthlessly attack and even resort to violence (both verbal and physical) to stop the intelligent person from discerning their activities and motives.
The psychopath experiences fear when the intelligent person exposes the phony justifications and Narratives they use to “explain” their hidden but intentionally harmful acts. The child molester cries, “Pedophilia is the love of children! It is a natural human desire!”
Uh. no. Pedophilia is the abuse of the most vulnerable. It is sick and twisted.
Low discernment = low intelligence
A person of low intelligence – or an otherwise intelligent person who has swallowed an Orwellian narrative or political propaganda – would be unable to distinguish free speech from “misinformation” and “disinformation.”
This 5th grade terminology reduces a nuanced situation to a dumbed-down equation: Free speech = disinformation. It is convenient for those who have lost the ability to think clearly, for they can grab onto a Narrative sound byte and shout down anyone who disagrees.
Discernment is an indicator of intelligence, but also the level of consciousness.
It is the absolute enemy of any dictator or authoritarian.
The mass murderer Pol Pot instructed his security forces to arrest anyone who wore glasses, for fear they might be an intellectual. Such is the level of stupidity demonstrated by those without discernment.
Discernment and consciousness go hand-in-hand.
Higher consciousness and discernment
I discovered this gem reading the work of Marshall vian Summers:
“People are led to believe that they can not really judge anything. “Well, I don’t want to be negative. I’ll be open to it.” Who told them to be open to it? “I’ll be open to whatever happens.” Who told them to be open to whatever happens? People’s critical discernment is being destroyed. So something happens and they say, “Well, you know, I don’t want to judge the situation.” What are you talking about! You need to evaluate what is happening. These people think they cannot be critical. “Well, I can’t really be critical. I don’t want to be negative.” Well, it may be necessary to speak out and say that something is really not appropriate. But these people can’t even do that. People who have been affected by [Narrative control] cannot even make a decision. They cannot look at anything and say, “Well, this is a good thing,” or “This is really not a good thing for me.” So they welcome everything, thinking that is how you must be with life.
“That is not how you must be with life. It is true you must be willing to look at everything. But it is not true that you must accept everything, bond with everything, welcome everything. Of course not! Higher consciousness does not mean that you do not make critical evaluations. It simply means you view things from a higher vantage point. This does not mean that everything becomes gray. It means that everything becomes clear. You clearly see what to do and what not to do, what is good and what is not good. If this is not the product of spiritual study, then someone is being disabled.
“While it is true you must learn not to judge a situation based upon your conditioning or beliefs, ultimately you must judge a situation based upon Knowledge, the Spiritual Intelligence that lives within you. This is the final arbiter in your discernment.
“However, people do not recognize this. They take the first step and they think it is the last step. The first step is where you do not judge. This means you must learn to look and recognize something, which you cannot do if you judge it immediately. This is the first step, but people think it is the last step. The last step is very different from the first step. You do not judge in the moment because you need to see and know and recognize what you are looking at. This is discernment. You cannot be discerning if you judge things outright. Yet beyond this discernment, you must see clearly if something is good or not.” [bolded text is mine]
— Marshall vian Summers, The Allies of Humanity Book Two: 2nd Commentary
Yes. Discernment also involves a personal decision to consult the Knowledge and wisdom accumulated over a lifetime (or lifetimes), and make a decision.
Lack of discernment can lead to social collapse
Higher consciousness leads to greater discernment, and nuanced thinking. It doesn’t lead to a one-size-fits-all consensus society where everyone agrees with each other. That is a hive-mind society whose creativity and elan vital has been stripped from it.
Such a society is a dumbed-down society, for it cannot distinguish the helpful from the harmful. It has a low level of discernment and intelligence. It tolerates stupidity and violence in the name of openness and generosity, even though such an attitude makes it impossible for openness and generosity to flourish.
A society composed of such dullards will soon be controlled by its 1–4.5% psychopathic element. It will then become a lowest-common-denominator society where merit, creativity, and accomplishment are seen as detrimental or threatening. Such a society will not be led by the able, but ruled by the incompetent.
Sadly, a people who are afraid to defend and promote their culture will soon lose it.
And that is a goal of the psychopath.
The importance of creativity and spirituality
All psychopaths are materialists, for materialists deny their Higher Selves. A psychopath would laugh at this idea, more’s the pity for them.
Creativity is the key element in any successful person, group, or nation.
Creativity is the hallmark of Spirit, the Creative Source, God.
Without recognition of and access to the Higher Power individuals and civilizations die because discernment dies as well.
In a society run by psychopaths and child molesters, that which is forbidden to be discussed is the truth.
Anti-social personalities commit unspeakable acts of depravity and cruelty against the most vulnerable because they are unable to discern the Godlike nature of all life. And the Godlike nature of themselves.
They get away with acts of intentional harm because those who discern can’t face up to their evil. This is how psychopathy has perpetuated itself within human consciousness for the past 6,000 years.
The good news is that the psychopaths are on the run. The masses are waking up, and their activities are being exposed. This causes fear and terror within the psychopath, who reacts even more wildly, thus exposing themselves even more.
This process will continue until, eventually, enough of them are exposed. Psychopathy will then be recognized by all discerning persons. That is the day we will finally have a chance for peace on earth.
Who are the real psychos?
“Yes,” you say. “But the Left think the Right are all psychopaths, and the Right think that all Leftists are psychopaths. Who are the real psychos?”
There is an easy solution to this dilemma: psychopaths employ verbal and physical violence, fear, and intimidation. Anyone who uses these debased tactics – no matter what they call themselves – is someone whose advice you can safely ignore.
