The expression "smart fool" characterizes one who has a large amount of knowledge about everything in the world, but makes mistakes when making certain decisions. Scientific definitions, philosophical and everyday ideas are consistent with each other in the fact that prudence is primarily a sign of not having a mind, but the ability to use it. How is this seen in practice?
Thoughts of the great on judgment
The purpose of man is fulfilled through prudence and moral virtue; for virtue makes the goal right, and judiciousness makes the means to achieve it right. (Aristotle)
Man is a receptive, feeling, intelligent and judicious creature, striving for self-preservation and happiness. (Holbach Paul Henri)
The husband is all-perfect, wise in speeches, prudent in deeds, always pleasant to reasonable people, they crave communication with him. (Balthasar Gracian i Morales)
Reasoning, we grow spiritually. (Igor Subbotin)
Reason - droplets of the mind, sometimes everyone is not enough to do good deeds! (Andrey Tabakov)
Keep your mind no matter what happens
Let him expect that it didn’t work out very well. (Alexander Shevchenko)
What is discretion?
If necessary, a person begins to reason, find the right solution to the problem that arose before him.
This is a rather complex psychophysiological process, including such skills as:
- draw on existing knowledge;
- use existing experience (one's own and another's);
- analyze knowledge and experience (positive and negative);
- draw the right conclusions;
- to make decisions.
Judiciousness is a correct, sober understanding of the essence of what is happening around, sanity and logic in actions.
Reasoning. What is it?
The need for reasoning arises when a person wants to learn something, think about it, compare facts, draw conclusions and make a decision. Thus, this is a thought process, which is carried out in the form of judgments, inferences. The need for reasoning arises when it is necessary to prove or disprove something, that is, when doubts arise about something.
The right reasoning leads to the right conclusions and actions. They are possible in a person with normal mental development and mental health, and also depend on education and social attitudes.
Qualities
Reasonability - what is it? To find out the answer to this question, one should also determine what personal qualities such a person possesses.
Many put an equal sign between the definitions of “reasonable” and “dry”. Such a person seems to be an impassive, unemotional person who all the time calculates and decides something. Such a type of people occurs only when judiciousness (as a virtue) and selfishness (as a disadvantage) are combined in one person. Of course, there are such people. But the emotionality and reasonableness of actions do not exclude each other, if a person knows how to subordinate feelings to reason.
Decisiveness and prudence also do not contradict each other. In critical situations, a sensible person can quickly compare all situational conflicts, provide options for the development of events and their consequences.
A smart person learns not only from his own experience, but also from someone else's. He possesses observation skills, skills in analyzing and synthesizing life facts, knows how to explain them from a scientific or everyday point of view. Rationalism in choosing options for means and ways to achieve the goal (or goals) is inherent in a rational person. This ensures that you get what you want with the least psychological and material loss. That is, in such a person wisdom and discretion coexist well. His motto is: “First I’ll think, and then I’ll do it.”
How to become
Judiciousness and virtue are considered the main virtues of man. If a person wants to cultivate reasonableness in himself, then you should start by following the six basic rules:
- Enrich your mind with knowledge and experience, without which prudence is only a good wish.
- Learn to prioritize. Not all problems are as acute as they sometimes seem. The ability to reason, which of them need an urgent solution, requires a balanced approach and eliminates the chaotic emergence of new ones. It is very appropriate folk wisdom - "measure seven times, cut once."
- Do not allow emotions to prevail over the mind, find acceptable ways to suppress them in critical situations. Outbursts of anger, euphoria, futile experiences, panic about what has already happened or what should happen suppress sober reasoning about what now or then needs to be done to make the right decision.
- Reflect on what will happen, how events will develop if the desired does not come true or an undesirable option occurs. Having a well-thought-out fallback option gives you peace of mind and confidence.
- Adequately assess their own significance in this world and in the lives of others. This will allow a reasonable, real attitude to the setting of one's own goals, to form a circle of associates and employees who are ready for mutual assistance, for constructive criticism.
- Encourage, praise yourself for good luck. Do not indulge in endless self-abasement, if something failed, did not take place. Depression is the worst enemy of rationality.
A sensible person is aware of his shortcomings and is distinguished by a desire for self-education, because he knows that such character traits as punctuality, diligence, honesty and decency are highly valued in society.
How to educate this quality in a child?
It cannot be denied that prudence is the most valuable helper of a person in a sea of passions and problems of life. In order for him to grow so, parents need to make a lot of efforts, choose a certain style of family education.
Psychologists advise to exercise even small children in discussions about what needs to be done in a particular situation, why, how best to reach the goal. A joint calm discussion with the child of the results of activities, both successful and unsuccessful, accustoms him to introspection and pondering further actions.
The fanatical desire of parents to save a child from adversity, depriving them of the choice of solutions, replacing his desires with their own is the recklessness of the parents themselves. The acquisition of life experience requires errors that encourage further caution and thoughtfulness of actions. Let the children make mistakes when it does not threaten their health and the health of those around them.
A socially adapted person knows how to take into account the opinions of others, but also knows how to defend his own.
Judiciousness is the ability to find options for combining your interests and needs with public ones. An explanation of the reasons for certain decisions and actions of adults themselves, an analysis of their mistakes - an indispensable method of the parent school of life. These examples, accessible to the age of the child, can be drawn from the media, from literature, from personal life.