An example from philosophy.
According to the teachings of the 14th-century French philosopher Jean Buridan, a person's actions are determined by their reason. If reason considers the proposed good to be ideal and complete, then the will is directed towards it. This means that if reason identifies one good as superior and another as inferior, then the will, all else being equal, will choose the superior one.
However, when reason considers both goods to be equivalent, the will finds itself in a state of paralysis. As an example of his teaching, Buridan used the image of a donkey standing between two equally enticing bundles of hay, unable to choose one of them. Therefore, a Buridan's donkey refers to a person who experiences indecision and hesitation when choosing between two equal desires.
In the surviving works of the philosopher, these reflections have not been found, so it is not precisely known whether this is a historical fact or a fabrication. Nevertheless, there is a saying in Latin: Asinus Buridani inter duo prata ('Buridan's donkey between two meadows').
