In a world dominated by appearances, by superficial thoughts, by the banality of both good and evil, the ancient lesson of prudence deserves to be recovered. Saint Thomas, in the wake of Aristotle, called it “the correct system of actions”. It is the ability to govern actions to direct them towards good; That is why he receives the nickname “conductor of virtues.”
Prudent is he who knows how to choose: as long as he remains in the books, life is always easy, but in the midst of the winds and waves of everyday life, things change: we often feel insecure and do not know where to go. He who is prudent does not choose at random: first of all, he knows what he wants; Then, he weighs the situations, allows himself to be advised and, with broad vision and inner freedom, chooses which path to take.
It’s not that he can’t make mistakes, he’s still human after all; but he will avoid big “lumps”. Unfortunately, in all environments there are those who tend to settle problems with superficial jokes or to always stir up controversy. Prudence, on the other hand, is the quality of those who are called to govern: they know that administration is difficult, that there are many points of view and that it is necessary to try to harmonize them, that the good should not be done for some, but for all. . Prudence also teaches that, as they say, “The perfect is the enemy of the good.”