Where does sophrosyne come from?

Sophrosyne is first recorded in English in the late 1800s, but the concept is ancient. Sophrosyne comes from the Greek word sōphrosúnē, which derives from the Greek sṓphrōn, meaning “prudent.” The first part of sophrosyne comes from the root sôs, meaning “sound” (healthy), and the second part comes from the root phrḗn, meaning “mind.”

Someone who displays sophrosyne is “of sound mind,” but the term refers to more than being mentally healthy—it also has to do with the way that a person behaves. The concept of sophrosyne was discussed by the Ancient Greek philosopher Plato and many philosophers after him, including Thomas Aquinas. Throughout the years, many explanations have been given for what qualities it includes. This is because sophrosyne combines a lot of characteristics into a single word. Perhaps its closest synonyms are prudence and temperance, but even those words don’t capture all of what it means to have sophrosyne. Perhaps the best way to define sophrosyne is by what it’s not: hubris, or the quality of being so arrogant that you make bad decisions because of it.