Recently I stumbled upon this line and after some clearing up of definitions realized that my concept of patience was incorrect.
“to want to have something done about an evolving culture in the place denotes an impatience with the culture”
The first part is positive. For me impatience meant something negative, so I looked it in my favorite dictionary.
And after reading and understanding it, I prefer to describe myself as a impatient and healthy 🙂
Meaning of patience, which comes from patient:
Pa”tient (?), a. [F., fr. L. patiens, -entis, p. pr. of pati to suffer. Cf. Pathos, Passion.]
1. Having the quality of enduring; physically able to suffer or bear.
thus patience
Pa”tience (?), n. [F. patience, fr. L. patientia. See Patient.]
1. The state or quality of being patient; the power of suffering with fortitude; uncomplaining endurance of evils or wrongs, as toil, pain, poverty, insult, oppression, calamity, etc.
Fortitude means: that strength or firmness of mind which enables a person to encounter danger with coolness and courage, or to bear pain or adversity without murmuring, depression
And therefore the positive attribute of impatience:
Im*pa”tience (?) n. [OE. impacience, F. impatience, fr. L. impatientia.]
The quality of being impatient; want of endurance of pain, suffering, opposition, or delay; eagerness for change, or for something expected; restlessness; chafing of spirit; fretfulness; passion; as, the impatience of a child or an invalid.
want: lack of
chafing: wear down with rubbing, used figuratively.
invalid: one who is weak and in chronic bad health
Why should it be considered a good thing to accept pain and suffering. Wouldn’t it be well to say that making it better for oneself is the right thing to do, if one had the interest of others in heart?
Let me know you thoughts
Steven Ruesch
Very profound. This actually makes sense, I have always looked at my impatience as a negative thing. But now I understand, it is totally okay to be impatient