At Our Own Discretion

Discretion is poorly understood and all too infrequently practiced. What was once a building block and statement of character,  stability and direction has now become little more than a vague concept.

The problem lies with those who would convince us all that we must be categorised…that it’s necessary to define parameters and the spectrum of behaviours and attitudes that fit within that definition.

More than the right to make a judgement or decision, discretion is the ability to do just that. It’s about making responsible decisions…all the while behaving or speaking in such a way as to avoid causing offence.

Uncertainty and a lack of confidence at an individual level bedevil society. There may be a false sense of security to be gained from an anonymity of a group or category but that is to little avail when facing direct and personal challenges.

There comes a time when we need to muster our discretion…to evaluate what we have been taught and what we have learned through experience…to decide what is right and what it true and accept that it is so.

There comes a time when we have to rely on ourselves…a time when we must make decisions and accept the consequences of those decisions.

While that time can be postponed and even avoided the inevitability of its certainty and arrival must be accepted.

Discretion is also the freedom to decide what should be done in a particular situation and then doing it. It has nothing to do with a mob mentality. There’s a sharp focus on self.

One person can make a difference. Every person is important.

Discretion is linked with civility and respect.

It has even greater links with an individual’s knowledge and understanding of themselves and the need to nurture and develop both.