Patience, Impatience

Patience, Impatience

(211:4)

1994 10 October 12-13 Patience, Impatience (350)

Whenever one is faced with a problem, one may either accept the responsibility for it, or attempt to lay the blame on others. The first course results from patience, the second from impatience.

There can be no positive human psychology without patience. The patient man tries to understand the nature of the challenge confronting him, and then attempts to meet that challenge to the best of his ability. He channels all his time, energy and strength, as well as every particle of his resources into constructive action. Awakened by the shocks of an adverse situation, he makes a supreme effort to overcome all obstacles and to compensate for any previous failures. In this way, he emerges far more successful than ever before.

The behaviour of the impatient man – the result of negative thinking – is in direct contrast. He spends all his time complaining and protesting. Instead of putting all his resources into self-construction, he uses them in destructive activities directed against others. Instead of trying to make up for his own shortcomings, he throws himself into proving that others are in the wrong. If, prior to this, he was denied his due because of his own inaction, he now becomes the greater loser because of taking a wrong course of action.

Patience is a sine qua non for well thought out action impatience can only give rise to thoughtlessness. Patience permits planned action, while impatience leads to acting in excessive haste. The patient man will attempt to solve problems only after making a proper assessment of the situation, and with a view to ultimate consequences. The impatient man will jump into the fray without any calculation whatsoever and – a prey to his own seething emotions - will remain blind to any adverse consequences. A very important aspect of the patient man is that he will take the trouble to acquaint himself with the standpoint of others, while the impatient man will consider only his own harrow claims.