Prudence

Prudence: Being careful about one’s choices; not taking undue risks; not saying or doing things that might later be regretted. Personified for example by Fred Soper (Source: VIA Institue) 

 

The Noel Strengths Academy defines it this way:

  • The prudent person is thoughtful about their choices 
  • They avoid taking undue risks  
  • Careful to not say or do things that might later be regretted 
  • The ability to see things circumspectly 
  • Awareness of possible consequences

  • Underuse: Sensation seeking
  • Overuse: Stuffiness

Key Research:

  • Rank order of Prudence in populations from:
    • US : 22
    • European:  21
    • Asia: 19
    • Latin America: 22
    • Sub-Saharan Africa: 22
    • Middle east: 22
  • The least prevalent character strengths in human beings are prudence, modesty, and self-regulation (Park, Peterson, & Seligman, 2006).
  • Popular students, as identified by teacher ratings, are more likely to score highly on civic strengths such as leadership and fairness, and temperance strengths of self-regulation, prudence, and forgiveness. Interestingly, none of the humanity strengths such as love and kindness were related to popularity (Park & Peterson, 2009b).
  • Strengths that predicted GPA in college students were perseverance, self-regulation, prudence, judgment and love of learning (Lounsbury et al., 2009).

Psychological Impacts of Prudence:

  1. Prudence is a key predictor of financial stability: Research has shown that individuals with high levels of Prudence tend to experience greater financial stability and security (Peterson & Seligman, 2004).
  2. Prudence is linked to responsible decision-making: Prudence is associated with responsible decision-making, which is the ability to make informed and thoughtful choices (Gilliland & Dunn, 2003).
  3. Prudence is a key component of self-regulation: Prudence is a key component of self-regulation, which is the ability to control one’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors (Baumeister & Vohs, 2007).
  4. Prudence is associated with a sense of responsibility: Individuals with high levels of Prudence tend to feel a strong sense of responsibility for their actions and the consequences of those actions (Seligman et al., 2005).
  5. Prudence is linked to planning and organization: Prudence is associated with planning and organization, which is the ability to set goals and develop strategies to achieve them (Kashdan & Ciarrochi, 2013).
  6. Prudence is a key strength for individuals in leadership positions: Prudence is essential for individuals in leadership positions, as it helps to build trust, foster collaboration, and promote a positive work environment (Goleman, 1995).
  7. Prudence is associated with a sense of caution: Individuals with high levels of Prudence tend to be cautious and risk-averse, which can help to prevent mistakes and errors (Damasio, 2004).
  8. Prudence is linked to self-control: Prudence is associated with self-control, which is the ability to regulate one’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in order to achieve long-term goals (Tangney et al., 2004).
  9. Prudence is a key strength for individuals who value stability: Prudence is essential for individuals who value stability and predictability in their lives (Kashdan & Ciarrochi, 2013).
  10. Prudence can be developed and strengthened: Research has shown that Prudence can be developed and strengthened through practice, such as setting and achieving goals, developing a sense of responsibility, and cultivating self-regulation (Seligman et al., 2005).

 

Tayyab Rashid and Afroze Anjum offer 340 Ways to Use VIA Character Strengths including these four for Prudence:

  1. Think twice before saying anything. Do this exercise at least ten times a week and note its effects.
  2. Remove all extraneous distractions before your make your next three important decisions. Take the time to clear your mind and gather your thoughts.
  3. Visualize the consequences of your decisions in one, five, and ten years time. Take these long-term consequences into account when making short-term choices.
  4. Do a risk-benefit analysis before making a final decision. Consider risks and benefits that are intangible as well as tangible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Learn more about Prudence

Gutsy girls skateboard, climb trees, clamber around, fall down, scrape their knees, get right back up — and grow up to be brave women. Learn how to spark a little productive risk-taking and raise confident girls with stories and advice from firefighter, paraglider and all-around adventurer Caroline Paul.

Imagine being by yourself in the dead center of a 3,000-foot vertical cliff — without a rope to catch you if you fall. For professional rock climber Alex Honnold, this dizzying scene marked the culmination of a decade-long dream. In a hair-raising talk, he tells the story of how he summited Yosemite’s El Capitan, completing one of the most dangerous free solo climbs ever.

Luck is rarely a lightning strike, isolated and dramatic — it’s much more like the wind, blowing constantly. Catching more of it is easy but not obvious. In this insightful talk, Stanford engineering school professor Tina Seelig shares three unexpected ways to increase your luck — and your ability to see and seize opportunities.

The hard choices — what we most fear doing, asking, saying — are very often exactly what we need to do. How can we overcome self-paralysis and take action? Tim Ferriss encourages us to fully envision and write down our fears in detail, in a simple but powerful exercise he calls “fear-setting.” Learn more about how this practice can help you thrive in high-stress environments and separate what you can control from what you cannot.

Podcasts to feed your Prudence

Cautionary Tales:  We tell our children unsettling fairy tales to teach them valuable life lessons, but these Cautionary Tales are for the education of the grown ups – and they are all true. Tim Harford (Financial Times, BBC, author of “Messy” and “The Undercover Economist”) brings you stories of awful human error, tragic catastrophes, daring heists and hilarious fiascos. They’ll delight you, scare you, but also make you wiser.

 

Meditation for Prudence

Read more on meditation and Prudence:

Dear Prudence
The Beatles
Dear Prudence, won’t you come out to play?
Dear Prudence, greet the brand new day
The sun is up, the sky is blue
It’s beautiful and so are you
Dear Prudence, won’t you come out to play?
Dear Prudence, open up your eyes
Dear Prudence, see the sunny skies
The wind is low, the birds will sing
That you are part of everything
Dear Prudence, won’t you open up your eyes?
Look around, round (round, round, round)
(Round, round, round, round, round)
Look around, round, round (round, round)
(Round, round, round, round, round)
Look around
Dear Prudence, let me see you smile
Dear Prudence, like a little child
The clouds will be a daisy chain
So let me see you smile again
Dear Prudence, won’t you let me see you smile?
Dear Prudence, won’t you come out to play
Dear Prudence, greet the brand new day
The sun is up, the sky is blue
It’s beautiful and so are you
Dear Prudence, won’t you come out to play?
Songwriters: John Lennon / Paul McCartney written by the Beatles while on Transcendental Meditation retreat in India

  • Allegory of Prudence by Luca Giordano, early 1680s

Leave a Reply