Why is consolation, as opposed to desolation, the right time to work on the problem? Ignatius puts it this way: “For just as in consolation the good spirit guides and counsels us, so in desolation the evil spirit guides and counsels. Following his counsels we can never find the way to a right decision” (SE, Rules, First Week, #5) When a person is in desolation, all objectivity is gone. The false spirit is her counselor—presenting foolish proposals, drawing incorrect conclusions, and making poor judgments. We get a medical checkup when we’re in good health, not when experiencing acute illness
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