It's Friday! Time for a diversion.....
This week I received an email from a colleague who had obviously pressed "send to all" and fired it off without thinking....and probably just as quickly regretted it. As I read it, and listened to others discussing how foolish it was, I remembered Aristotle's virtue of prudence.
Prudence- it sounds such an old-fashioned word, difficult to define in the abstract, but yet we recognise straight away when an action lacks prudence. A little prudence before hitting "send" would have saved a lot of trouble for my colleague. Prudence in this instance means taking time over a decision, thinking through the consequences of your actions, considering what the effect is likely to be, asking yourself if this is what you really mean to do.
Our culture, especially when we look at how we communicate with each other, seems to be in danger of forgetting prudence and elevating immediacy to the position of a virtue instead. Messages arrive instantly, can be read instantly and therefore carry the expectation that we will respond instantly.
Yesterday, we started to look at some of the consequences that happen when people act from wrong motives- desire, greed, jealousy, fear, revenge. A lack of prudence may not sound as serious as the jealousy that led Cain to murder his brother Abel, but didn't Jesus point out that sin begins in our hearts and minds? Cultivating prudence may be the first step towards making wiser choices.
My child, do not let these escape from your sight:
keep sound wisdom and prudence,
and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck.
Then you will walk on your way securely and your foot will not stumble.
Proverbs 3: 21-23
Prudence- it sounds such an old-fashioned word, difficult to define in the abstract, but yet we recognise straight away when an action lacks prudence. A little prudence before hitting "send" would have saved a lot of trouble for my colleague. Prudence in this instance means taking time over a decision, thinking through the consequences of your actions, considering what the effect is likely to be, asking yourself if this is what you really mean to do.
Our culture, especially when we look at how we communicate with each other, seems to be in danger of forgetting prudence and elevating immediacy to the position of a virtue instead. Messages arrive instantly, can be read instantly and therefore carry the expectation that we will respond instantly.
Yesterday, we started to look at some of the consequences that happen when people act from wrong motives- desire, greed, jealousy, fear, revenge. A lack of prudence may not sound as serious as the jealousy that led Cain to murder his brother Abel, but didn't Jesus point out that sin begins in our hearts and minds? Cultivating prudence may be the first step towards making wiser choices.
My child, do not let these escape from your sight:
keep sound wisdom and prudence,
and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck.
Then you will walk on your way securely and your foot will not stumble.
Proverbs 3: 21-23
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