Prudence or paranoia?

Two big words. What do they mean?

Prudence is putting wisdom into action. If you are prudent, then you are practical, wise, and careful. Paranoia is excessive worry. If you are paranoid, you fear that someone or something is out to get you.

We live in a broken world. Earthquakes are a reality. People must plan for them. People must respond when they happen. But how we do both shows whether we are prudent or paranoid.

Japanese architect Shigeru Ban wants to be prudent. He is helping people in Nepal. About a year ago, a strong earthquake hit Nepal. It toppled homes. About 9,000 people died. Large areas were left covered in piles of rubble.

Mr. Ban studied the area. He responded with a solution that fit well with the needs of Nepal. He designed a house for those left homeless. It uses wooden frames that fit together. Brick rubble fills the spaces between the frames. That cleans up the mess from the earthquake. It makes the walls strong.

The house is low to the ground. A low, sturdy house can take shock from an earthquake better than a tall, soaring one. The house can be built quickly. It costs very little.

Mr. Ban wants others to use his design. That way, more people can be helped quickly. He wants the people who will live in the houses to help build them. Then they will know how to help others do the same. His idea seems prudent.

Another earthquake response seems less prudent. A Chinese inventor claims to have made an “earthquake-proof bed.” If a quake happens in your area while you are sleeping, the bed automatically drops. It falls into a metal vault. The vault closes you up inside. Water, food, and oxygen are stored in it. You might stay alive in that vault for some hours. Maybe help would find you in your vault after the quake.

So far, no one has made the vault-bed. Only a computer-generated video shows what it might be like. Maybe that’s because it seems more paranoid than prudent.