Between Control and Hesitation

A friend of mine during university always had a balanced, rational personality—playful when it was time to have fun, patient when facing difficulties. He was confident in his decisions and at peace with his life. He might make mistakes occasionally, but I never saw him shy away from apologizing or rejecting advice. He was genuinely loved among his peers. I wondered, filled with admiration: What is the secret? Another colleague of mine was completely the opposite. He often worried about people's criticism and feared making decisions lest he fail. From time to time, he would be sensitive to jokes, and it seemed he frequently criticized himself without realizing it. Despite his youth, signs of aging appeared on his face. I cannot consider him rational in some of his decisions, nor mature in many of his emotions. I wondered, astonished: How did this happen?