Prudence

I have not made blogging a priority lately as I've been getting back into the swing of things at school. I do tend to be reminded of this thing when I come across something in my reading that is just put really well, so here I am. I was just reading an article handed to me by my economics professor entitled "Whatever Happened to Prudence?" The parts I like best are the following:

"Prudence is a cognitive orientation to the personal future, a form of practical reasoning and self-management that helps to achieve the individual’s long-term goals effectively. Prudent individuals show a farsighted and deliberate concern for the consequences of their actions and decisions, successfully resisting impulses and other choices that satisfy shorter term goals at the expense of longer term ones.

Enjoying life’s staples—marriage, careers, raising children, enriching the spirit, keeping healthy and enjoying life—requires planning. Prudence is unattractive tabloid fare, but it quietly leads to a lifetime of happiness."

The article was a telling reminder of how to go about getting that which we really want in life. For me personally, those “staples of life” listed are eons more important and desirable than the momentary payoffs of ditching responsibilities in college. A few weeks ago I read an article written by a psychologist. She said that whenever she is facing a dilemma she asks herself 3 questions: What will be the effects of this in 10 days? What will be the effects of this in 10 months? What will be the effects of this in 10 years? The writer pointed out that for every decision the answer to the 10 year question might not be the crucial answer you need, but in most cases, you realize that your choices may or may not affect your life for the long haul, and we should act accordingly. Just food for thought…ok, back to studying. :-)