PRUDENCE

Prudence; a funny word - rarely used and confused with “prude” referring to someone who is excessively concerned with etiquette. Instead, the word “prudence” speaks to the ability to use reason as the basis for self government. It describes the value of wisdom, good judgement and caution when it comes to risk.

Every aspect of prudence requires introspection, consciousness, discernment and, I would add, moral conscience.  

Living in a time when our thinking and choices can be so externally driven by Facebook, Twitter and other social media forms, for, not only information, but direction and validation, it is hard to see where prudence has a role.  However, in such tumultuous times, prudence may be the discipline which will help us find our way not only to survive our times but to thrive. Prudence assumes we have the capacity to be our own best counselor, to make choices without the need for external assurance and to trust ourselves.

Emotion, not in itself a drawback, can become detrimental when we don’t check in with reason.  Is what I’m feeling accurate?  Have I let this emotion take over and make decisions for me? How can I use my thinking mind in partnership with my emotional mind to guide me successfully through challenges?  

Wisdom is not for the old alone.  Everyone of us, no matter how old we are, has experience and intuition which can help to discern what the next best step is. How did I respond to this situation before?  Did my response help to resolve an issue, restore goodwill, lead to collaboration, ect.?  

Caution doesn’t preclude us from stepping out of our comfort zone in order to stretch our capacities.  Caution doesn’t mean we have to be rigid.  Instead, caution entails strategy and planning in the pursuit of a goal.  It means being aware and conscious of what is going on now, where we want to go and the sequence of actions in order to get there. 

Finally, prudence is a capacity that deepens with intention and practice.  What are you doing to strengthen prudence in your life?