Theory of Discernment

dis·cern·ment noun \di-ˈsərn-mənt, -ˈzərn-\
1 : the quality of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure : skill in discerning
2 : an act of perceiving or discerning something

Chapter I
The ability to discern
To discern is to be able to grasp what is obscure, to perceive something the rest cannot. It is an acquired knowledge honed through practice and reflection. The second way to discern spirits is by reflection and theological study. This second method then is an acquired human knowledge. Often times people ask me what I believe in, and I simply tell them “whatever I want”. In this defiance I have found something useful, an unproven idea that thus far has worked out very well for me. I stumbled upon the idea of discernment thanks to a lengthy conversation with a friend. During the conversation I used a mashed up version of the first law of thermodynamics, the Law of Conservation of Energy in order to formulate a belief that was perfect for me. Animals, humans to be specific, sense and respond to the energies around them. Every being emits and receives energy, and in this balance we find ways to connect, to conflict, to bond, and to meld. I dug deeper and the further I dug the more certain I was that I’ve found “it.” I found what I’ve spent my whole life searching for and this is what I found....


Chapter II
Defining energy
Joy, sadness, hope, confidence, misery, pain, love, hate, I see none of these as emotional states. Instead I see them as energies we emit unwillingly. Energy is contagious, it has the power to influence other beings and it spreads like wildfire. It follows the law of conservation of energy, energies are not created or destroyed only transformed or transmitted. Emotions are more personal and much less contagious. A single person can experience emotions but their surrounding parties are relatively unaffected. Mental Illness for example is an emotional state. You alone are affected, however your words & your actions can affect people. Understanding the difference between emotions and energies is crucial. One must be able to judge the difference if you are to truly discern a persons core energy. Children for example, kids sense energies the best. Their minds are not clouded with adult problems thus their reactions are more natural.


Chapter III
Honing the skill
As with developing any skill there are several paths that take you to the same destination. I chose the path of study in order to further my skills. I started with some of the easier cases, dogs and children. As I studied them I saw that I can affect certain situations negatively or positively just by feeling a certain way. I learned that it wasn’t even necessary to believe what I was feeling was genuine, just that I had to convince everyone around me that it was real. I, of course, turned to what I know best, engineering and immediately turned to my favorite law of all time; the Law of Conservation of Energy, “energy cannot be created or destroyed, but only changed from one form into another or transferred from one object to another.” I concluded that human energy, beyond what we can see, is generated and transferred throughout each human encounter. One animal emits the energy while the other receives; much like a magnet, the person receiving the energy also surrenders a large amount of control in the exchange. Magnetic energy always flows from north to south. For example, emitting to the masses simultaneously is called performing. Dogs, as another example, emit their energy via body language. (barking, snarling, whimpering, tail wagging) Think back to how we describe each other, so and so is nerdy, or a clown, or funny or weird. These are just labels created to describe the kind of energy the person emits regularly. In its purest form energy is easy to recognize but hard to interpret. I struggled with interpretation until I chose to treat it like a language and learned to receive and be more mindful of the energy I emit.


Chapter IV
The Experiment
After much studying I moved on to see exact what discernment could do for me. Was it just another phase in my life or was this really a skill worth keeping? As I met people, I looked past their well rehearsed facade, I looked past their accolades, past their words but to the heart and soul of their being. What energy were they emitting? Was it nervous energy, or were they keeping their energy hidden? Was their demeanor aggressive or kind and inviting? I had to relinquish control to better understand my subject. In this I found how to become the ultimate people person, how to relate to any one at any time in any part of the world, how I learned how to listen with the intent of understanding not with the intent of replying. We cloud our minds with expectations, with GPAs, with salaries, with number of bedrooms, with news reports, with stats in general, but when it’s all said and done success boils down to opening yourself up to all possibilities of the world; emit the right energies and the path you seek will manifest itself. Even further it comes down to our ability to project the right energy to the right person at the right time. Accepting this was one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life. Time being wasted on searching for jobs I don’t want, friends that don’t care much for my existence, chasing dreams that aren’t mine is no more. Instead, I have decided to focus my energies on activities that mean something to me; hobbies that could potentially change someones life perspective. It was because of this I started a project. I decided to seek out avenues to apply this skill to see how far in life it could take me. I became project coordinator for a national high/middle school competition. I birthed iDesign and Robosumo. Two programs aimed at pushing the youth to excel, pushing them to failure with the hopes that they evolve as they fail; programs that, subject to judgement, were more successful than any other NSBE competition of the last 6 years. Traveling the nation and being dropped off at various competition sites forced me to grow, forced me to master my skills. I had to adapt to my surroundings and learn who was really trying to help me and who was just looking for something to consume their idle time. I had to read multiple energies at once and make immediate decisions based on what I digested. It was a sink or swim project and for the most part I’d like to think that I tread water. Once the dust settled I realized that I came out stronger, better, faster, and more decisive. I could read a persons energy in an instant. Gone were the days of asking girls if they liked me, or whether or not I impressed a new group of friends. All the answers I needed lie in the energies of those around me. I would sense when things weren’t going well and quickly changed my approach. Life ceased being a mundane game of checkers and turned into a compelling game of chess. For the first time in a long time my eyes were open. My most memorable applications were on interviews. I would walk in and sense the general energy of the room, was it relaxed? Tense? Intrigued? Or serious? Once I got a quick read I would match my energy to that of the room and get down to business. Furthermore, I would watch people interact with each other. I would watch couples trade energies. I would see the moment where the date went south, or their “need” to show the world how in love they are with excessive amounts of affection. I stopped asking my friends shallow questions like what they’ve been up to and ask how they’re doing as a person. To which you will get two answers, you will get verbal information and a tone


Chapter V
The Journey/Conclusion
Why do humans exist? This question consumes my thoughts most days and was the base for which this idea was built. Most of us forget why we are here. Constantly seeking knowledge has been, in large part, the push that has allowed the human race to advance so rapidly. The result? We have lost our sense of balance; we aren’t centered. We have learned to reject imperfections rather than accept them and understand that without imperfection there is no perfection. This imbalance allows us to get caught up in things we’ve been taught to get caught up in (jobs, schools, appearances, money, fame, success) and forget our true purpose. We are here to learn and record everything on this planet and beyond; we are the mothers and fathers of planet earth. By understanding the composition of a tree or the make up of any other organism we are being presented with the duality of the world. At a glance we may say something is flawed, but once we understand it we are often presented with a being that is more awe-inspiring than what we had perceived at first. Our very existence is to seek out what hasn’t been named/studied and record our findings. We are the archivists of the planet, nothing less. Accepting my role as a human being opened my eyes. The veil that has strategically been placed over our eyes was lifted and my theory was the first thing I saw. It is my hope that whoever reads this seeks out knowledge, seeks to find their own spiritual beliefs, seeks beyond what is presented to us. My journey has just begun and I couldn’t be any happier with the way my life has panned out thus far.


Letter to the readers
Hopefully you've learned something from my words if not... To hell with you!! I'd like to take the time out to thank the people who have contributed to this article. First up is Gladyn Innocent who did the initial editing. Second is Shalaila Clark who started this conversation, that ultimately led me to my greatest discovery. Lastly, Ms Gina Tedesco who has helped me BEYOND what I could ever expect. She finds a way to turn my gibberish into the intricate words you’ve just read. NONE of this could have been possible without all of you and I owe all of you so much. “Give a man a fish, and he won’t starve for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he won’t starve for his entire life.”