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| Those who practice Holy Indifference really DO care! |
Holy Indifference was a concept expressed by St. Ignatius. It, basically, urges us to go through life with an open mind. Ignatius wanted us to do God's will and not sweat the small stuff. He wanted us to detach from the world. Certainly not an easy thing for us regular folks to do.
The most popular way, in our culture, of dealing with problems is spilling our guts or making our feelings paramount - but when that doesn't seem to be working, a different form of ancient Catholicism presents the concept of Holy Indifference or Quality of Detachment. The religious significance has to do with when Christ told us to be detached from the world and keep our eyes on spiritual things. But there's also the psychological significance that can be used by those who aren't as spiritually grounded as St. Ignatius.
Don't make emotional decisions - be open - lay aside things that distract us - suspend judgement.
Here's my personal example of how a quality of detachment saved me. About a quarter of the way into my husband Ken's terminal illness which was increasingly involving dementia and personality changes, I read a book on "Quality of Detachment." Then I visited a counselor for over a year in order to develop this quality of detachment. Without it I could never have been able to keep Ken at home, where he wanted to be, for the next six years until he died. The concept seems selfish but it's not. It saved both of us.
So the next time somebody at work or at home is antagonizing you or trying to make your life miserable, or you're trying to make a horrendous decision, or you're trying to stay strong while caring for a dying loved one - investigate the development of a quality of detachment, or if you prefer, a Holy Indifference.
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