Spirituality: The Ignatian Presupposition

“… it should be presupposed that every good Christian ought to be more eager to put a good interpretation on a neighbor’s statement than to condemn it. Further, if one cannot interpret it favorably, one should ask how the other means it. If the meaning is wrong, one should correct the person with love; if this is not enough, one should search out every  appropriate means through which, by understanding the statement in a good way, it may be saved.”

 

Adapted from the Spiritual Exercises [22] by Katherine Dyckman, Mary Garvin, and Elizabeth Liebert in The Spiritual Exercises Reclaimed

 

How many times have you felt that something you said or did was misunderstood by someone else? And, not only misunderstood, but interpreted in such negative way that it had nothing to do with what you really meant or intended? It’s enough to make you start to question the other person’s motives, even questioning their good will towards you.

 

At the beginning of the book, The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola, Ignatius gives an instruction to the one who is guiding the retreatant and the one who is making the Exercises about how they are to relate to one another. We’ve come to call this instruction, the “Ignatian Presupposition.” 

 

Essentially, it asks the guide and retreatant to 1) give the other the benefit of the doubt; 2) ask clarifying questions when unsure about the position of the other; 3) correct the other with love, when necessary; and 4) search for mutually acceptable solutions.

 

The Presupposition is a fundamental attitude towards others, choosing to see their God-given goodness before anything else. It is not an invitation to others to walk all over us or an excuse to ignore evidence of a malicious intent. Practicing the Presupposition expresses a desire to find common ground so as to work together to further the flourishing of the reign of God.

 

A note on good intentions and harm

Good intentions do not absolve a person from any harm they may have caused.

 

The Presupposition does not seek to get a person off the hook for responsibility for their actions or the impact of their actions. We presume good intent to avoid demonizing the other and to remain open to relationship. When we are not sure about intent or about the content of what was said, we move to step 2, asking clarifying questions. It’s possible that we may discover malintent (in which case we might take steps to protect ourselves, while never forgetting the God-given dignity of the other person). On the other hand, what we hope for is dialogue and learning – which depends on the good will of both parties.

 

Sometimes we hear, “My intent was good so you shouldn’t be offended.” It is a misuse of the Presupposition to tell someone else how to feel. When offense if caused, we seek to understand through clarifying questions.

from the Holy Trinity/Georgetown University website