Thomas Merton
approach to life and appearances

The following is a description of Thomas' basic stance toward life, the way others see him, the way Thomas Merton comes across, the face he shows to the world. In the page about motivation you will read about the inner Thomas Merton - his real motivation, which describes the kind of person he is at heart and where his true priorities lie. Study this page and the next one and compare them - there may be significant differences between the two, in which case "the inner Thomas Merton" may not shine through and others may be in for so a few surprises once they get to know Thomas a little better. This page describes the disguise Merton wears, his role in life, while the page about motivation talks about the real person beneath the disguise.

He is a gentle, sensitive person with a deep understanding of people and a very tolerant, accepting, non-judgmental approach towards life. In a noisy, competitive atmosphere Thomas Merton is often receding and withdrawn for he is not an aggressive, forceful person, and he intensely dislikes conflict. In fact Thomas tends to be somewhat passive, to wait, watch, observe, feel and know much - but to act little. Letting things resolve or work themselves out in their own way, rather than directing or forcing his will upon them is often Merton's way of dealing with problems.

Thomas Merton may have a deeply religious or spiritual feeling about life, not in the orthodox sense necessarily, but an intuitive sense of the immensity and underlying oneness of all life, which makes so many human aspirations seem rather unimportant. He needs peaceful surroundings in order to flourish, and periods of quiet solitude are essential for Merton's emotional balance and well-being.

Thomas Merton is also very compassionate and cannot tolerate seeing any fellow creature suffer - be it human, animal, or even plant! As a child Thomas Merton probably cried very easily and became quite upset whenever others were hurt, physically or emotionally. The world of Merton's imagination and fantasy was also very real to Merton, a place to escape to when the outside world became too harsh, demanding, or simply uninteresting.

Because he is very giving and forgiving, people sense Merton's sympathetic nature and gravitate toward him when in need. Often Merton will continue to give to people even when he realizes they are taking advantage of him or becoming overly dependent upon him. Thomas Merton overlooks and makes excuses for other people's weaknesses, and for his own as well. Discrimination and self-discipline are not Merton's strong points.

Though he may be as intelligent as anyone else, he does not really have a rational, logical approach toward life, and trying to reach Thomas through logical arguments is often futile. His feelings, intuition, and heart, not his head, lead him, which may infuriate or bewilder Merton's more rational friends. Thomas Merton certainly recognizes that there is much more to life than can be explained intellectually and categorized into neat little boxes, and Thomas Merton has an open, receptive attitude toward such areas as psychic phenomena, telepathy, parapsychology, etc. He is not as structured and rigid in his attitudes as many people are, which enables Thomas Merton to see many different points of view and to accept all of them as valid. This can lead to vagueness, uncertainty, and confusion on his part - or to a very flexible and holistic way of approaching any issue.

Thomas Merton appears to be sweet to other people, and he knows how to use charm, persuasion, and affection rather than more direct (but possibly disagreeable) methods to get his point across. Being overly concerned with appearances and surface beauty is possible; and if so, Thomas Merton may also seem vain and narcissistic to others.

Thomas Merton appears contained, and perhaps wary or mistrustful as well. He watches his step, and frequently withdraws if his environment does not feel welcoming and safe. As a result, Merton may seem much more conservative than he actually is. Thomas fears making mistakes in social situations, and is extremely sensitive to criticism or rejection. As he matures, Thomas Merton is likely to grow in confidence, because he will learn to depend more on his own evaluation of himself.

There is an air of universal sympathy, gentleness, and nonjudgmental acceptance about Thomas Merton which draws people in need to him. Because he has a good deal of intuitive insight or psychic perceptiveness, Thomas is able to say or do just the right thing for them. Thomas Merton needs to beware of fostering dependency in those people, however.

He is able to control his feelings and conduct himself in a very proper manner. Because of his inner shyness, Thomas Merton tends to separate himself from others and gives the impression that he does not want to be talked to.

Astrological factors in this Astro Profile section:

Pisces Rising

Venus Square Asc.

Saturn Square Asc.

Neptune Trine Asc.

Asc. Opposition Venus/Saturn