SO GOOD QUOTES

HESITATION

Hesitation is a psychological disease or a weakness in the
personality.

St. James, the Apostle, says, “He is a double-minded man,
unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:8).

The one who hesitates might say I am thinking and studying.
But there is a big difference between thinking in depth and
being hesitant.

There is a difference between the one who studies in depth and the one who, after deciding on one thing, changes his mind to another then goes back to the first one and leaves it later on, without settling on any.

Maybe hesitation is due to fear and fear has its reasons. It
could be the fear of failure or acting wrongly that is causing
hesitation. It could be fear because of weakness and
incapability, or the fear of results and responsibility. It could
also be the fear of choosing badly and more than one solution is being offered.

As one in cross-roads, afraid of choosing a road that gets him lost!

Hesitation could also be due to lack of self-confidence.
Maybe the hesitant is one who is not used to depend on himself and has no self-confidence.

Therefore, he does not trust his thinking, his decision or his
good choice. He also does not trust his capability. He has no
experience to trust in himself. Maybe he lacks the knowledge
to trust in himself. He is the image of a man.

The reason for hesitation could also be for lack in courage and valour.

He is unable to make a decision. Every time he progresses, his courage fails him. Usually, his will would be weak. Whenever he decides on a matter, he finds that everything looks the same and fails to choose one. He is not sure of the results and maybe of the means also.

Hesitation causes confusion, maybe due to lack of
understanding.

He may have two matters, both are good. But which one is
better? Or both are bad, but which one is less bad? Or maybe
he is faced with a matter that he does not know if it is good or
bad? The vision is blurred.

The reason for hesitation could also be due to many advisers
and consultants.

He who has one adviser finds it easy to take one path. As for
the one who asks many, there is a chance each of them leads
him to a way different from the other, or gives him advice that
contradicts that of another. Therefore, he stands hesitantly
between contradicting advice, not knowing which is better.

Contradictory readings could also be the cause of his confused thinking

—H.H. Pope Shenouda III, Words of Spiritual Benefit Vol. IV