Cowardice in the context of "Recklessness (psychology)"

Prudence (Latin: prudentia, contracted from providentia meaning "seeing ahead, sagacity") is the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason. It is classically considered to be a virtue - in particular, one of the four cardinal virtues of Ancient Greek philosophy and one of the seven heavenly virtues of Christianity. Prudentia is an allegorical female personification of the virtue, whose attributes are a mirror and snake, and who is frequently depicted as a pair with Justitia, the Roman goddess of Justice.

The word derives from the 14th-century Old French word prudence, which, in turn, derives from the Latin prudentia meaning "foresight, sagacity". It is often associated with wisdom, insight, and knowledge. The virtue of prudence is the ability to judge between virtuous and vicious actions, not only in a general sense, but with regard to appropriate actions at a given time and place. Although prudence does not itself perform outward actions, and is concerned solely with internal discrimination and choice, all other virtues are regulated by it. For example, to distinguish the virtuous mean of courage from the vicious extremes of recklessness (excess) and cowardice (deficiency) is to be prudent.

The term "honor killing", also called a shame killing, refers to murder that is committed, typically by members of the victim's family, with the motivation of preserving or recovering the "honor" that the victim is perceived as having violated or lost as a result of their actions, which may be a source of shame in their society. Most cases of honor killings involve femicide, and they are likewise a frequent manifestation of violence against women in regions of the world where there are traditional or legal norms that greatly restrict women's rights and freedoms.

Although these murders are condemned by international conventions, including by legally binding documents like the Istanbul Convention, and by human rights organizations globally, they remain widespread and several religious and cultural communities continue to justify and encourage them in areas where they exercise influence. Historically, families who refuse or fail to commit honor killings are usually accused of cowardice or a "moral defect" and stigmatized by the religious or cultural community to which they belong (stigma-by-association), thereby inheriting the social rejection and social exclusion that had previously only applied to the victim at the onset of the controversy. While the behaviours and actions that lead to situations of honor killings can vary by the established societal norms of a region, they are most often choices of an intimate nature, such as being in a romantic relationship outside of marriage; refusing to enter into an arranged or forced marriage; seeking a divorce or marital separation; or engaging in premarital, extramarital, or postmarital sex. However, several non-intimate personal choices may result in honor killings as well, such as converting to another religion; being friends with someone who does not belong to the same race, ethnicity, religion, or culture; not taking care to avoid associating with the opposite sex; or dressing in a way that is regarded as diverging from sexual norm (e.g., a man wearing women's clothing) in the community. Furthermore, it is also common for people to be targeted for honor killings if they become victims of rape or sexual assault; or simply because of their inherent state of being, such as having a disability or not identifying as heterosexual.

The golden mean or golden middle way is the desirable middle between two extremes, one of excess and the other of deficiency. It appeared in Greek at least as early as the Delphic maxim "nothing in excess", which was discussed in Plato's Philebus. Aristotle analyzed the golden mean in the Nicomachean Ethics Book II: That virtues of character can be described as means. It was subsequently emphasized in Aristotelian virtue ethics. For example, in the Aristotelian view, courage is a virtue, but if taken to excess would manifest as recklessness, and, in deficiency, cowardice. The middle way form of government for Aristotle was a blend between monarchy, democracy and aristocracy.