Prudentia is the ability to read reality clearly before acting. No intuition, no hope, no wishful thinking – just sober assessment. Wisdom works with information, not illusions. It is the virtue that counteracts false dramatisation, self-deception and impulsive reactions.

Prudentia begins with observation: What is happening objectively? What factors are influencing the situation? What options actually exist – not what we would like to have? It forces us to distinguish between data and emotions without devaluing emotions. We only react once we understand what we are reacting to.

This virtue is uncomfortable because it requires honesty, especially with oneself. One must see through oneself: one's own motives, fears, tendencies. Those who act wisely use their feelings, but do not allow themselves to be controlled by them. Prudence turns chaos into a system because it recognises connections and resolves blind spots.

Wisdom is not academic IQ. It is practice: making good decisions, avoiding bad ones. Assessing risks, not suppressing them. Recognising opportunities, not romanticising them. Prudentia is strategic thinking in a clean, functional form.

It creates stability. People with wisdom do not act faster or slower – they act more correctly. Less actionism, less failure due to overconfidence, less stagnation due to fear. Prudence leads to an attitude that is neither panicky nor fatalistic, but controlled, clear and realistic.

I deal with this because clear decisions are vital for me. My mind needs structure, otherwise it slips into chaos or becomes overwhelmed. Wisdom gives me the tools to tame my inner turmoil.