To know
“It is better to remain silent and let them doubt your littleness.” wisdom, than to speak and eliminate any doubt about it” (Abraham Lincoln). The prudence It tells us when to speak and when it is better to remain silent. Sometimes it is misunderstood prudence as a fearful attitude that leads to not acting. But the prudent person is creative: reason, evaluate and act. Don't get carried away emotions or pressures, but act with intelligence and freely.
To think
A businessman He invited his elderly philosophy professor to dinner. She wanted to know if his son was mature enough to pass on his business. The professor observed him at dinner. In the end, alone, he asked his teacher. “And good?”. He replied: “Your son still lacks maturity.” “But how do you know?” he asked. “Because he added salt to the food before tasting it. He didn't know if he needed salt or not, but he put it on. It means that he acts without thinking. “Whoever acts like this can make a lot of mistakes.” The businessman thanked and praised his insight.
It is necessary think before acting. Aristotle said that the prudent man is capable of deliberating and judging in an appropriate way. Saint Thomas called it “right reason in acting,” and it directs the other virtues.
To live
When in doubt about acting correctly, you cannot decide with a coin. Prudence advises measuring the situation, remembering past experiences, asking for advice. That is why it is the quality of rulers, because it harmonizes the many points of view. Prudence teaches that “The perfect is the enemy of the good.” When you aim for a lot of refinement, you don't finish what you started. Something well done is preferable to never ending.
Jesus teaches how to live prudence, as when he describes the sensible man who built his house on rock, and that of the foolish man, on the other hand, on sand. He recommends being prudent like snakes and simple like doves. He invites us to be holy, but intelligent, because without prudence, it is easy to make mistakes and we must know how to choose the path that leads to good and true life.
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