Prudence is a term reflective of discernment. It is a cousin of wisdom but not its twin. Prudence is often listed as the first of the virtues because it is intellectual. Sometimes wisdom is a broad category describing knowledge of all sorts, but we must be more specific in this vein of discussion. While wisdom (σοφία) looks upward to principles and ideals, prudence (φρόνησις) looks downward to the implementation of these values in human life. This fine distinction is rarely made, but we can s……