Not only sands and gravels
Were once more on their travels,
But gulping muddy gallons
Great boulders off their balance
Bumped heads together dully
And started down the gully.
Whole capes caked off in slices.
I felt my standpoint shaken
In the universal crisis.
But with one step backward taken
I saved myself from going.
A world torn loose went by me.
Then the rain stopped and the blowing,
And the sun came out to dry me.
[Robert Frost, “One Step Backward Taken”]
To be cautious is to be careful – to exercise care. We might contrast caution with being careless, or with being daring or bold. Caution motivated by fear probably is less useful than caution underlain by confidence. The extent to which someone is cautious is related to the subject of risk-taking. Of course, context is essential in evaluating the quality of caution. These observations illustrate the imprecise nature of values distinctions, particularly this one.
Prudence, we might say, is reasoned caution – considered and careful caution, we might say. Prudence and caution are served with at least a taste of humility.
Real
True Narratives
The United States' response to the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, offers a cautionary tale about being cautious.
- Peter L. Bergen, The Longest War: The Enduring Conflict Between America and Al-Qaeda (Free Press, 2011).
- Thomas E. Ricks, The Gamble: General David Petraeus and the American Military Adventure in Iraq, 2006-2008 (Penguin Press, 2009).
- Thomas E. Ricks, Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq (Penguin Press, 2006).
- Michael R. Gordon and Bernard E. Trainor, Cobra II: The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq (Pantheon Books, 2006).
- George Packer, The Assassins' Gate: America in Iraq (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2005).
Profiles in caution, for good and/or ill:
- Steven Levingston, Kennedy and King: The President, the Pastor, and the Battle Over Civil Rights (Hachette Books, 2017). The politician and the civil rights activist found common ground, cautiously.
- Jeffrey Toobin, True Crimes and Misdemeanors: The Investigation of Donald Trump (Doubleday, 2020): “. . . why Trump came out basically unscathed, despite the fact that, as he writes, the president 'never really pretended to be anything other than what he was — a narcissistic scoundrel.' He rightly argues that the investigation was an utter political failure.”
From the dark side:
- Sarah Wynn-Williams, Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism (Flatiron Books, 2025): “. . . a memoir by a former Facebook executive, portrays feckless company leaders cozying up to authoritarian regimes.”
Technical and Analytical Readings
Photographs
Documentary and Educational Films
Imaginary
Fictional Narratives
Novels:
- Amina Cain, Indelicacy: A Novel (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2020): “An aspiring writer lands in the life she thinks she wants, one where she’s creating art instead of cleaning it. Eventually she has to consider what’s most important — time, inspiration or human connection?”
- Amy Reed, Tell Me My Name: A Novel (Dial, 2021), “follows Fern, a working-class girl on wealthy Commodore Island, who is left behind while the other kids her age are partying and traveling. When the rich and elusive Ivy moves in next door and strikes up a friendship, Fern thinks her fortunes are changing. But as Fern gets sucked into Ivy’s orbit, she begins to question whether this world filled with drama and recklessness is one that she wants to be a part of after all."
Poetry
What did we say to each other
that now we are as the deer
who walk in single file
with heads high
with ears forward
with eyes watchful
with hooves always placed on firm ground
in whose limbs there is latent flight
[Navarre Scott Momaday, “A Simile”]
Music: Composers, artists, and major works
Classical pianist Josef Hofmann’s motto was “an aristocrat never hurries”. He was referring to the importance of careful preparation. Here is a link to his playlists.
A German composer of the seventeenth century, Heinrich Schütz hewed close to musical traditions, and composed music suitable for church. In those two pervasive respects, this precursor of Bach could be called music’s patron saint of caution, or prudence. His genius was in applying those conservative ideas and attitudes to produce beautiful and creative works that bear prolonged listening. A chief exponent of his music, on disc, is Dresdner Barockorchester.
- Madrigalen Italien (Italian Madrigals) SWV 1-18 (1614) (approx. 57’)
- Historia der Auferstehung Jesu Christi (Resurrection Story), Op. 3, SWV 50 (1623) (approx. 48’)
- Cantiones sacrae quotuor vocum, SWV 53-93 (1625) (approx. 109’)
- Symphoniae Sacrae I, Op. 6 (1629) (approx. 100’)
- Musikalishce Exequien, Op. 7, SWV 279-81 (1636) (approx. 35’)
- Kleine geistliche Konzerte (Little Sacred Concertos), Part 1, SWV 282-305 (1636) (approx. 195')
- Musikalishce Exequien, performed by Vox Luminis (2011) (55’) and La Chapelle Royale (2007) (59’)
- Anderer Theis kleiner geistlichen Concerten, Op. 9, SWV 306-337 (1639) (approx. 124’)
- Symphoniae Sacrae II, Op. 10: Part 1 (1647) (approx. 71’); Part 2 (approx. 69’)
- Geistliche-Chor music, Op. 11 (1648) (approx. 125’)
- Symphoniae Sacrae III, Op. 12, SWV 398-418 (1650) (approx. 120’)
- Schwanengesang, Op. 13 (1671) (approx. 79-96’)
- Davids Psalmen (approx. 143’)
- Weihnachtshitorie (Christmas Story)
- Matthäus Passion, SWV 479 (1666) (approx. 56’)
- Johannes Passion, SWV 481 (approx. 38’)
- Magnificat, “Christmas Story” (approx. 71’)
Johann Pachelbel composed volumes of carefully constructed, deliberate keyboard works. Antoine Bouchard has ostensibly recorded all of them. Other performers include Matthew Owens: Volume 1 (2021) (71’); Simone Stella [Volume 1 (2018) (132’); Volume 2 (2018) (196’); Volume 3 (2018) (226’)]; and Márton Borsányi [Volume 1 (2017) (64’); Volume 2 (2019) (72’)].
Other compositions:
- Simeon ten Holt, Incantatie IV for Three Pianos (1990) (approx. 117’) “is about a composition that is performed in an area between a fixed score and improvised music. The musician has not only to be active when notes are there or has to be silent when there are none. The multi-interpretational score (e.g. as to rhythm) indicates that each separate layer is susceptible to e.g. doubling or multi-layered unison, either as main colouring or secondary colouring.”
- John Cage, Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (1958) (approx. 27’)
- Mieczysław Weinberg, String Quartet No. 9, Op. 80 (1963) (approx. 28’)
- Raga Manu Bihag (Manu Vihag) is a Hindustani classical raag for late evening. Performances are by Hariprasad Chaurasia, Amir Khan, Venkatesh Kumar, and Kishori Amonkar.
- Franz Schmidt, Symphony No. 3 in A Major (1928) (approx. 40-51’)
Albums:
- The Cookers, “Look Out!” (2021) (55’): “. . . the 7-track release comprises original, fresh pieces written by Cecil McBee, Billy Harper, and George Cables which channel the heady, aggressive post-bop era of the mid-60s.” The connection to caution is in the album title.
Music: songs and other short pieces
- Paul Simon, “Learn How to Fall” (lyrics)
- Fleetwood Mac, “Second Hand News” (lyrics)
Visual Arts
- Titian, An Allegory of Time Governed by Prudence (ca. 1550-65)
- Peter Brueghel the Elder, Prudence (1559)
