Prudence is the virtue that disposes practical reason to discern our true good in every circumstance. It’s not just a matter of thinking about what should be done, but also considering the right way to do it.
Prudence is known as the mother of all virtues because it guides all other virtues and is required to practice all other virtues.
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Prudence is known as the mother of all virtues because it guides all other virtues and is required to practice all other virtues.
Prudence is known as the mother of all virtues because it guides all other virtues and is required to practice all other virtues. Prudence, in a sense, is like a compass that helps us navigate through life using practical reason. It disposes our practical reason to discern our true good in every circumstance and guides us on how best to reach this true good. In other words, prudence is a habit of thinking and acting with consideration for the true good (i.e., what will lead us closer to perfection).
Being prudent means making decisions that are right and good, without any regard to ourselves.
Prudence is an important part of the Christian life, because it involves making decisions that are right and good without any regard to ourselves. In order to be prudent, we must first identify what is right or wrong; then we can determine whether or not something is good or bad. Finally, we must determine whether something is true or false.
Prudence is the virtue which disposes practical reason to discern our true good in every circumstance.
Prudence is the virtue which disposes practical reason to discern our true good in every circumstance. This includes both recognizing where we should direct our efforts, as well as how best to act out of those intentions. It requires us to be able to make good use of the knowledge we have gained through experience and study, so that we may avoid unnecessary risk without being too cautious or cowardly.
The prudent person is one who thinks clearly about his choices, considers their consequences before committing to them, and acts accordingly in order to achieve his goals while avoiding danger or harm wherever possible.
Spiritual meaning of prudence
| Proverbs 1:1-7The ancient Hebrews associated wisdom with our modern term “skill,” even though “skill” is not a direct translation of the Hebrew term. “Skill” implies what wisdom is in actual practice: excellence in quality or expertise in the practice of one’s occupation, craft, or art. People may acquire many skills in life, but the Bible focuses on human life and its God-given purpose. Therefore, a practical definition of biblical wisdom is “skill in living according to God’s way of life.”To refine it further, biblical wisdom is unique to those truly in a relationship with God. That biblical wisdom is a gift of God reinforces this fact, and according to James 1:1-8, we should ask for it and He will give it. James cautions that we must be patient because God gives it through the experiences of living within a relationship with God. Living requires time, and in some cases, a great deal of time because we are often slow to learn. God gives wisdom for us to make the best practical use of all the other gifts He gives, enabling us to glorify Him by our lives. As it is used, it displays a host of characteristics similar to the fruit of the Spirit (see James 3:17-18).Proverbs 1:1-7 helps to clarify wisdom by showing that it consists of such other godly characteristics as knowledge of God Himself, the fear of God, understanding, discernment, discretion, prudence, justice, judgment, equity, etc., all of which, melded together and used, produce a skill in living that—this is important—is in alignment with God’s purpose and way of life.Undoubtedly, some people are worldly-wise. However, biblical wisdom and worldly wisdom are not the same skillset. Biblical wisdom contains those spiritual qualities that are in alignment with and support God’s purposes. Though wisdom may provide a measure of worldly success, that is not its primary purpose. |
| Proverbs 14:8The wise, prudent person follows truth. He consciously weighs his options and deliberately chooses not to twist the truth. He does not walk on blindly, leaving things to the chance that his deceit will not be discovered. True wisdom is the ability to judge present circumstances with the view of future success. Truth is always ultimately successful.Conversely, folly means “foolishness, senselessness, idiocy, brainlessness, silliness, and irrationality.” Why is a person’s folly senseless? Because the one senselessly deceiving is himself deceived. As we might say, “He is shooting himself in the foot,” not grasping the fact that he, too, will be crushed by his deceit. |
| Proverbs 22:3Proverbs 22:3 poses an intriguing question. This maxim gives every appearance of involving a moral choice. Could it also involve the chicken-or-the-egg conundrum? To produce the good result, which came first, the prudence or the vision? In light of the cause-and-effect principle gleaned from Proverbs 29:18, from the Bible’s point of view, God first gives revelation (true vision), and prudence is vision’s fruit. Vision motivates carefulness in conducting our affairs.Prudence means “the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason; sagacity or shrewdness in the management of one’s affairs; marked by circumspection, discreet.” In other words, it enables us to exercise more control over the direction of our lives. It is a much-desired quality. Vision gives us a sensibility or carefulness that enables us to avoid dangerous pitfalls. The foolish are unwary and uncritical and naively blunder into trouble—even death. A major task of life is to learn what to respect highly. The Bible shows that most fear the wrong things. Above all, we should fear God, but most fear the world and other people. |
The practice of prudence requires a commitment to live according to the truth about reality – that is, according to what is good and bad, what is true and false, what is beautiful and ugly.
“Prudence is the ability to make good judgments, decisions, and choices in difficult situations.” This definition captures the substance of prudence. Prudence is “the ability to make good judgments” because it’s about making correct decisions about what we should believe or do in particular situations; it’s not just a matter of correctly reaching conclusions from true premises (which would be simply knowing). It’s also “the ability to make good decisions” and “the ability to make good choices”: prudence requires us not only to recognize what is true but also choose how we’ll act on that knowledge.
Prudence requires us not only to recognize what is true but also choose how we’ll act on that knowledge – whether it means deciding whether or not you should tell your boss that she needs a haircut when her hair looks like she hasn’t washed it since 1997; whether or not your friend who has too much faith in people will ever learn from his mistakes; whether or not your husband really loves his girlfriend as much as he says he does…
Prudence doesn’t always get the attention it deserves, but it’s actually very important.
Prudence is a virtue that helps us make good decisions. It’s not so much about doing the right thing as it is making sure we know what the right thing is and then doing it. Prudence isn’t really about ourselves, but rather about acting in a way that’s right and good without any regard to ourselves.
Prudence disposes practical reason to discern our true good in every circumstance, taking account of all the possibilities for action and their results for the future (Catechism 1622). The prudent person doesn’t just do things because they feel nice; he or she takes into account whether his action will lead to a better result than if he did something else under similar circumstances. He also considers who might be affected by his choice—not just himself, but everyone else around him too!
1. What does Proverbs 14:8 (printed below) tell us about the prudent man in contrast to the fool?
The wisdom of the prudent is to thoughtfully consider his way, but the folly of fools is deceiving. (Proverbs 14:8)
What makes the prudent man wise is the fact that he “thoughtfully considers his way.” That is to say, he seeks to understand who he is, where he is going, what he is doing. The prudent man has a moral standard and compass; he has moral and spiritual direction and discernment, and he stays on course. All this is in contrast to the fool: the fool practices “folly” (impiety), without comprehending how destructive it is; he is self-deceived.
2. What characteristic of the prudent man is being described in Proverbs 13:16 (printed below?)
Every prudent man works with knowledge, but a fool flaunts folly. (Proverbs 13:16)
A prudent man “works with knowledge,” as opposed to working against knowledge or without knowledge. The prudent man ascertains the facts, he accumulates the necessary data, then he proceeds, and as he proceeds he is always ready and alert to absorb more knowledge and a greater depth of knowledge. This is all in contrast to a fool who flaunts his folly. A fool unwittingly puts his foolishness on public display by the way he acts: he operates without knowledge or in defiance of the truth, and the ridiculous or tragic consequences identify him as a fool (note Luke 14:28-30).
3. What does Proverbs 12:23 (printed below) tell us about the prudent man? How would you explain this attribute?
A prudent man conceals knowledge, but the heart of fools proclaims foolishness. (Proverbs 12:23)
A prudent man sees more than he says—a prudent man is quick to take in knowledge, but he is not so quick to proclaim all that he knows. This is not a matter of deceit, but a matter of discretion, note Ecclesiastes 3:7, “there is a time to keep silence, and a time to speak.” One characteristic of prudence is discretion and the ability to practice self-control, especially over one’s speech.
4. What else do we learn about a prudent man from Proverbs 22:3 (printed below?)
A prudent man sees the evil and hides himself; but the naïve keep right on going and suffer for it. (Proverbs 22:3)
A prudent man, because of his respect for godly knowledge and his receptivity to such knowledge, is able to “see the evil.” He has foresight: based upon the commandments of God and a knowledge of his own heart, he can recognize a dangerous situation of temptation at a distance before he runs headlong into it. Upon seeing the evil, the prudent man “hides himself.” He acts upon his knowledge by avoiding the danger zone and taking a detour around it—not to do so would make him a fool, recognizing danger to his soul and heedlessly walking right into it.
5. How does Proverbs 15:5 (printed below) describe a prudent man in contrast to a fool?
A fool despises his father’s discipline, but whoever heeds rebuke shows prudence. (Proverbs 15:5)
“Discipline” involves every part of the training of one’s life; including correction, chastening, and instruction. A fool “despises” all such discipline, refusing to accept it, rebelling against it, walking away from it. But the man who “heeds rebuke” (i.e., pays attention to it, appreciating the father’s motivation of love and concern and his intention of directing his son in the way of life) “shows prudence.” The man who regards rebuke is demonstrating prudence and developing the valuable attribute of prudence (note Hebrews 12:11).
Conclusion
As you can see, prudence is a very important virtue. It allows us to make good decisions and keep our feet on the ground when faced with challenges and temptations. This is why it’s important for everyone to practice prudence!
Takeaways: When it comes to your spiritual development, having a little bit of prudence goes a long way toward ensuring success in your endeavors.
Title of post: The definition of prudence (and how it relates to our spiritual lives)
