When Reflection Is Really Fear
Contemplation is a virtue that sometimes completely permeates a person’s personality. When someone promotes contemplation, it becomes something of a halo over everything he does.
Aristotle defined this virtue as that which encourages decent and proper conduct. The Church sees it as one of the cardinal virtues of man. In this age, however, this concept has taken on a slightly different meaning. We associate contemplation more with caution.
We call someone thoughtful if she thinks before she acts or if she avoids doing something because she thinks the consequences will be bad. A thoughtful person can also act slowly and cautiously if circumstances require it.
Not so long ago, people believed that where there was contemplation, there were other virtues as well. But we must say that the word sometimes describes a lack of determination and motivation, or even the presence of uncertainty. It is important to distinguish between the different variants.
Thoughtfulness has a very positive side. The key word here is foresight – to see something before it happens. It’s not just a guess, but logical thinking. It suggests that you reflect on and evaluate the situation to indicate where a specific action may lead you.
The ability to be thoughtful and forward-thinking is fundamental to decision-making. These virtues put you on the path to success and help you make the right choice more often. It promotes strategic problem solving, and if you make mistakes, thoughtfulness will make them more manageable.
Thoughtfulness is the opposite of impulsivity. It is vital when a decision or action carries with it a risk or danger. It is a virtue that is closely associated with intelligence, reflection and self-control. In complex situations, it is incredibly valuable.
There are some people who are cautious but not necessarily thoughtful. Thoughtfulness includes the ability to be courageous when circumstances are favorable. Otherwise we are no longer talking about contemplation, but fear.
When you take contemplation to extreme levels, it is no longer a virtue. It becomes a problem with your emotional processing. Excessively thoughtful people perceive reality as a threat. As a result, they avoid actions that can trigger unpleasant or catastrophic things
They reject everything that involves change. The “thoughtful” answer is to stick to the world they know.
This type of emotional processing leads to neither success nor the right decision. It leads to paralysis. Completely eliminating risks is, after all, next to impossible. Not even in the living room or sleeping in bed are you 100% safe from danger.
Roofs can fall down, planes crash, thieves come in… if you always concentrate on possible dangers, you will in principle never have peace.
Excessive contemplation comes in strange forms. One is extreme perfectionism. Perfectionists want everything to be carved in stone. They try to keep everything under control and avoid mistakes at all costs.
This obsessive behavior indicates more fear than thought. Behind this behavior is a somewhat paranoid expectation: if I leave a few loose ends, the worst will happen.
Finally, there are people who use contemplation as an excuse not to act. These people are rather shy and cowardly than thoughtful. There will always be new situations that you are not prepared for, but they offer exciting opportunities for personal development.
If you say “no” just because you are not entirely sure of the outcome, you will say “no” to life itself. Thoughtful people also know that mistakes are possible, but that there is no reason to be afraid of them, as they are an incredible source of wisdom and experience.
To be thoughtful is not to be afraid, but to take responsibility.
