# Newsletters > Balthasar Gracian's The Art of Worldly Wisdom >  Aphorism #96 The highest Discretion.

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Aphorism #96 The highest Discretion.

It is the throne of reason, the foundation ofprudence: by its means success is gained at little cost. It is a gift from above, and should be prayed for as the first and best quality. ÂTis the main piece of the panoply, and so important that its absence makes a man imperfect, whereas with other qualities it is merely a question of more or less. All the actions of life depend on its application; all require its assistance, for everything needs intelligence. Discretion consists in a natural tendency to the most rational course, combined with a liking for the surest.

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