In a recent dotMagis article, Eric Clayton referred to the Presupposition as the “Ignatian plus sign.” Explore that idea more deeply with Michele C. Murray, in her essay, “Suppose we all presupposed? Applying the Ignatian plus-sign in everyday life.” She writes:
The Presupposition requires that we sidestep the conventions of persuasion and declaration in favor of generosity and curiosity. This is more challenging than it seems at first blush. In environments where there are winners and losers in any discussion, the advice to “put a good interpretation on a neighbor’s statement” may feel like a disadvantage. If the goal is to win an argument at all costs, it probably is. But if the goal is to understand one another’s point of view, the Presupposition opens the way to healthier relationships at home and at work, more effective collaboration and, perhaps, more imaginative problem-solving.
The “postures of presupposition,” as Murray explains, are humility, generosity, deep and attentive listening, and asking questions for clarity and understanding.
Murray is the incoming president of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU). The essay appears in Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education and in An Ignatian Spirituality Reader, Volume II.
