The Prize of Prudence

During times of uncertainty and lack of structure such as the present scenario, our ability to gainfully employ our faculties of reason in order to achieve positive outcomes is highly beneficial. This very concept is termed within the chapters of positive psychology as, 'prudence', falling under the virtue category of temperance. Let's dive in.

Prudence refers to being careful regarding one's choices, looking before you leap. It's about reflecting about the situation that's unfolding before us and weighing in the pros and cons of our thoughts and behaviour, and responding in a manner that keeps an eye on the consequences. It involves using practical reasoning to bring about healthy outcomes. It sounds an awful lot like being preachy or uptight where we can immediately conjure the image of our parents warning us to be cautious while playing. But, the truth is that a given level of caution against unnecessary and potentially distressing risks is a perquisite for mental well-being in the long run. While it is impossible to hide inside a bubble and shun every impulse that enters our minds, prudence could be exercised by keeping our recklessness in check by permitting ourselves such actions in moderation. Otherwise, well, we might find ourselves ranting to people for hours on end about some stupid thing we did with their only response being:

As the famous Marshmallow experiment demonstrated, the prudence employed by children who were able to wait for fifteen minutes so that they would receive two marshmallows rather than giving in to temptation and eat only the one already on their plates allowed them to be more successful in their careers years down the line. While this experiment concerned itself primarily with delaying gratification, the element of practicality also looms in the picture. Hence, this attribute allows individuals to prosper in the future more so than their peers since it offers more focus on the realistic achievement of their long-term goals and wiping away the chances of easily preventable roadblocks arising from bad decisions. 

The social psychologist Nick Haslam identifies the following as the aspects of prudence:

Foresighted stance toward the future, holding long-term goals and aspirations

Ability to resist self-defeating impulses and to persist in beneficial activities, even if they lack immediate appeal

 
Reflective, deliberate, and practical thinking about life choices

Ability to harmonize multiple goals into a “stable, coherent, and unconflicted form of life”

Ability to seek personal good without being collectively destructive

With a little bit of deliberation on our part, we may be able to enhance the quality of our states of mind as well as our lives by making better decisions and steering our ships away from the icebergs of high risks and foreseeable negative consequences. Be aware sounds a lot better than beware, and keeping this in mind could essentially save us a lot of trouble down the line, as well as boosting our mental health. Go on and eat that frog, but don't touch that marshmallow!

- Nikhil

Haslam, N. (1991). Prudence: Aristotelian perspectives on practical reason. Journal for the Theory of Social Behavior, 21, 151-169.

Mischel, W., & Ebbesen, E. B. (1970). Attention in delay of gratification. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 16(2), 329–337. doi:10.1037/h0029815