[Crisis & Awakening - VII]
Nothing marks youthfulness more than the tendency to act spontaneously. And it’s precisely this youthful characteristic that marks a life well into a season of renewal. (Age makes no difference.)
But spontaneity and impulsivity are different.
Impulsivity is the tendency to act without forethought, considering the effects of a decision only on one’s own satisfaction. Impulsive decisions, by definition, are decisions made without planning, but what makes them different than spontaneous decisions is that they don’t take into consideration anyone or anything else. In this way, impulsivity is *not* the antithesis of planning but of awareness.
Spontaneity is fully aware. Also without planning, spontaneous decisions can still be made with an attentiveness to the potential effects on others. Spontaneous decisions consider ramification and yet are still abrupt and extemporaneous.
Impulsivity is childish. Spontaneity is childlike and youthful.
