What would you do if you had an adult child who was completely given over to Sloth/Acedia?

[Gnarwhal]

What do you think would be the best way to help this person? They've never been especially faithful or devoted to Catholicism, they're very selfish/motivated by self satisfaction, and sloth permeates every aspect of their lives both spiritually and physically.

How do you help a person like that?

 

[Chrystal-J]

My great aunt and uncle had a son that was always asking for money for him and his wife. When my great aunt died, my uncle refused to help his son. Then, the son went out and got a good job and was independent after that. I guess what he needed was for his crutch to be removed, so he could learn to take care of his wife and himself.
Not saying this applies in your case, but that's an example of sloth.

 

[Gnarwhal]

My great aunt and uncle had a son that was always asking for money for him and his wife. When my great aunt died, my uncle refused to help his son. Then, the son went out and got a good job and was independent after that. I guess what he needed was for his crutch to be removed, so he could learn to take care of his wife and himself.
Not saying this applies in your case, but that's an example of sloth.

I see the relation there, they were enabling him while your aunt was alive and then when she passed your uncle said enough was enough and it forced their son to grow up and take responsibility for his life.

 

[Chrystal-J]

I see the relation there, they were enabling him while your aunt was alive and then when she passed your uncle said enough was enough and it forced their son to grow up and take responsibility for his life.

Exactly!

 

[Michie]

I thought the comment you had last about the military was a good one in your last thread. Have you and his mother suggested that to him yet? Basically, it’s a lot like dealing with an addict, you have to set boundaries and conditions and stop any enabling of whatever the issue is. Whether it be addiction or simply not wanting to detach from the apron strings and grow up.

 

[Gnarwhal]

I thought the comment you had last about the military was a good one in your last thread. Have you and his mother suggested that to him yet? Basically, it’s a lot like dealing with an addict, you have to set boundaries and conditions and stop any enabling of whatever the issue is. Whether it be addiction or simply not wanting to detach from the apron strings and grow up.

That conversation may be forthcoming, she still thinks it'd be best for him to join the Air Force and I agree with her.

I still haven't had a sit down with him cause things got in the way. I think it's going to happen today after he's off work though. I'm taking the night off from OCIF so hopefully this is a good opportunity, but I need to make sure my SIL doesn't come by with her daughter otherwise the house is too chaotic and full to talk about something like that.

 

[Cosmic Charlie]

What would you do if you had an adult child who was completely given over to Sloth/Acedia?​

It's not every day a guy like me gets stopped and has his brain go "tilt". But that's want happened when I saw the word "acedia" which looks enough like "Acadia" to cause immediate confusion in the central processing function of my text input system.

I had to actually stop and look that word up in the nearest dictionary.

Thank you Gnar, I had no idea there was an English equivalent to the French "ennui". I just always used "ennui" to describe that emotional state.

TIL.

(My personal motto: Learn something new and make one person's life a little easier every day)

 

[RileyG]

What do you think would be the best way to help this person? They've never been especially faithful or devoted to Catholicism, they're very selfish/motivated by self satisfaction, and sloth permeates every aspect of their lives both spiritually and physically.

How do you help a person like that?

Pray. Pray. and pray some more.

I am not a parent, so I will offer no other advice.