We can all quote some pithy adage that
recalls the virtue of patience. “Time
and tide wait for no man”; “Life is short”; “Things may come to those who wait,
but only the things left by those who hustle” (attributed to Abraham Lincoln).
The tortoise and the hare tale narrative remind us that it is the slow and steady
the win the race. And by race, we should
mean the important stuff of life.
Matthew Pianalto, in On Patience: Reclaiming a Foundational
Virtue, lifts the notion of patience from its philosophical obscurity,
defends it as a multidimensional virtue which we cannot have too much. He reminds
us of its deep roots such as Gregory the Great’s dictum that “patience is the
root and guardian of all virtues”. The author’s overarching thesis may be
succinctly summarized as “patience is a foundational virtue,” e.g. , which plays
into one’s courage to act decisively when it is expedient and wisdom that purposely
exercises patience in all situations.
Pianalto selects three major virtues—love,
courage, and wisdom –to argue that there is a close connection between them and
patience. In a broad conception of patience (gathered from Gregory), he argues,
“When we wait, forbear, endure, or persevere with patience, we maintain an
attitude of acceptance toward the various burdens thrust upon us by a
situation” (57). This is to say that there are various aspects to the virtue of
patience, viz., self-possessed waiting, forbearance, endurance, tolerance, and
perseverance, while on the other hand we can wait with patience, forbear with
patience or persevere with patience (buying one’s time). This is a crucial
lesson for those who carry deep burdens for social change. One learns to temper
virtuous anger or righteous indignation; anger is kept under rational control
Aristotle taught that patience like
all virtues is constitutively valuable. Pianalto expands with the astute opinion
that virtues derive their worth from their telos.
That is they are valuable because they are instrumental to living a good life
construed not primarily individualistically. This teleological dimension or a
reference point (i.e., a worthy goal or a long term plan), informs us in a technological
age where we are more prone to rely on instant responses and information that
calm our anxieties and need for certainty. So what if it becomes evident to us
that a goal we are pursuing is hopelessly unattainable? What if, e.g., one is
terminally ill and in excruciating agony? Should she continue to be patient?
Pianalto states poetically that “there is a kind of patience that endures —
that can endure — even if our particular faith is shaken or our hopes are
dashed” (134). Allow me to note that the opposite of faith is certainty and it
is rather akin to doubt. Thus patience is more than necessary to live a fully
human life.
Text: Matthew Pianalto, On Patience: Reclaiming a Foundational Virtue, Lexington Books, 2016.
