To hesitate is to pause before doing or saying something because you are unsure, nervous, or not ready. It can also mean to be unwilling or slow to do something.
From Latin “haesitare,” meaning “to hesitate or stick fast,” a repeated form of “haerere,” to cling or stick. The idea is of being mentally stuck instead of moving smoothly forward.
When you hesitate, your brain is running a quick risk–reward calculation in the background. Sometimes that tiny pause saves you from big mistakes; other times it costs you chances. Learning when to trust your first move and when to hesitate is a huge part of growing good judgment.
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