Have presence of mind. This is the child of a happy readiness of spirit. Owing to this vivacity and alertness there is no fear of danger of accident. Many reflect much only to go wrong in the end and others attain their aim without thinking about it beforehand. There are paradoxical characters who work best in an emergency. They are like monsters who succeed in all they do offhand, but fail in everything they think over. Something occurs to them at once or never— for them there is no court of appeal. Promptness wins applause because it proves remarkable capacity: subtlety of judgment, prudence in action.

THE ART OF WORLDLY WISDOM BY BALTHASAR GRACIAN
TRANSLATED BY JOSEPH JACOBS 1892