Steady and Unsteady

A question came up: what are the qualities of an unsteady person? It was said, from experience, that an unsteady person makes decisions without fully taking the situation into account. Then he quickly abandons that decision and reaches a new resolution, but he cannot fully carry that one out either.

An unsteady person is hasty and in any situation is the very first to voice an opinion. He thinks not “Let my opinion be right,” but “I must keep talking nonstop.”

Because his conclusions and approaches do not rest on clear foundations, he quickly changes when he hears views from others that oppose his own; the most curious thing is that even here he is not interested in whether the views put to him are well-founded – it is enough for some view to be told to him in an emotional tone, in a loud voice, with threats or with praise, and he crosses over to that side.

Even if a well-founded, documented and correct opinion is offered, whenever fear or excitement gets the upper hand, he flies out beyond the bounds of his previous decision and pledge like an arrow from a bow, and may even go and do the opposite of what he said before.

He never brings the work he starts to its end; curiously, he shows great interest in any good undertaking, is delighted by it, becomes its supporter, rolls up his sleeves and sets to it, but very quickly he loses heart and leaves the work half-finished.

An unsteady person is governed by his mood; he cannot govern his mood. An unsteady person will never make a loyal friend, a confidant, or a companion for a long journey. One must flee from an unsteady person and keep away from him. It is impossible to cooperate with him. The promised work is never done at the promised time. The ugliest disease of the unsteady is that they pretend to be busy with something important.

Today, foaming at the mouth, they speak ill of yesterday's friends, they forget the help and support they were given, and nothing great is ever left behind by the unsteady.

A steady person is patient, unhurried, measures seven times and cuts once, does not rush for results, works every day on the path toward the goal he has set, does not talk with just anyone, does not make decisions based on what just anyone says, does not change his decisions at the slightest thing, does not move on to a second task before finishing the first, does not forget his duty because of fear or excitement, fatigue or illness; on the way to reaching some milestone, if he falls, he gets up again, if he falls again, he tries again, does not give up his goal, is in no hurry to choose a friend, and once he has chosen a friend, is patient with his big and small faults and strives for those faults to be corrected – in short, he is a lion who does not turn back from his tracks, a man who does not go back on his word.

If a person is unsteady and cannot overcome it, he should follow someone who is steady. The steady can be an example for the unsteady. They treat their illness.

Akrom MALIK