Patience, Impatience

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 shock 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 behavior 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 plunges 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, while 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 keeping in view the ultimate consequences. The impatient man will jump into the fray without any calculation whatsoever, fall a prey to his own seething emotions and - will remain blind to any adverse consequences. A very important trait of the patient man is that he takes the trouble to acquaint himself with the standpoint of others, while the impatient man considers only his own harrow claims. 

Patience, therefore, is the wisest strategy. Impatience must at all costs be curbed, for it can lead only to misunderstandings, conflict and failure.

- Dr. Farida Khanam