The Touch Of Acedia
Acedia is Latin, from Greek ἀκηδία – negligence, lack of care.

Thomas Aquinas defines acedia as “sorrow about spiritual good”: the sadness in the heart when we recognise our responsibility to become good.

Acedia has been described as a state of listlessness or torpor; an inert state without pain or care. In modern times, it has been connected to depression.

When we forget or ignore our true reality, life will either seem pointless or we will look for something else to justify our existence.

Acedia describes a mental state and behaviour. Psychological signs are a lack of attention to

daily tasks, an overall dissatisfaction with life, boredom, and state of restlessness, of not living in the present and seeing the future as overwhelming.

Another sign is a lack of caring, of being unfeeling about ourself and others, whether that manifests in appearance, relationships, community’s welfare, the world’s welfare …

All of this relates to hopelessness and vague unease that arises from having too many choices, lacking true commitment, and being a slave to the mind.

The touch of acedia comes from an inability to understand our true reality of consciousness – and where conscience comes from.