"The word "decision" comes from the Latin word caedere, which means "to cut". When we decide to pursue one thing, we necessarily cut away another. If there's no cutting, we haven't made a decision at all."
"The word "discernment", on the other hand, comes from the Latin root discernere, which means "to distinguish"; it refers to the ability to see the difference between two paths and know which one is the better way forward."
"Discernment is an essential skill because it's a process for making decisions that includes but also transcends rational analysis. It's critical for deciding which desires to pursue and which ones to leave behind."
"After all of the rational considerations have been laid out, what if there isn't a clear-cut way forward? This happens all the time in life."
"...Many books have been written about improving one's ability to discern well. Here is a distillation of some key points: (1) pay attention to the interior movements of the heart when contemplating different desires - which give a fleeting feeling of satisfaction and which give satisfaction that endures? (2) ask yourself which desire is more generous and loving; (3) put yourself on your deathbed in your mind's eye and ask yourself which desire would be more at peace with having followed; (4) finally, and more importantly, ask yourself where a given desire comes from."
" Desires are discerned, not decided. Discernment exist in the liminal space between what's now and what's next. Transcendent leaders create that space in their own lives, and in the lives of people around them".
-Luke Burgis, excerpts from "Wanting"
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