Patience

Patience, also known as forbearance, is the ability to endure difficult or undesired long-term circumstances.

It involves maintaining tolerance when facing delays, provocation, or stress. A patient person avoids reacting negatively, such as with anger or disrespect. This quality is often linked to being a disciplined and steadfast individual. In contrast, traits like impatience, hastiness, and impetuousness represent the opposite of patience.

In the fields of psychology and cognitive neuroscience, patience is studied as a specific decision-making problem. It involves choosing between a small reward in the short-term or a more valuable reward in the long-term. Researchers have observed this in animals to understand how self-control evolves. A 2005 study compared common marmosets and cottontop tamarins. The marmosets chose to wait significantly longer for food than the tamarins did. This difference was not due to brain size or social behavior. Instead, it was explained by feeding ecology. Marmosets rely on tree gum, which requires waiting for exudate to flow. Tamarins eat insects, which requires impulsive action. This suggests that foraging habits can create selective pressure for patience.

Human patience is also being studied in the context of modern technology. Researchers look at how internet speeds affect the way people behave online.

In a 2012 study of tens of millions of users, Krishnan and Sitaraman found that people lose patience in as little as two seconds. This happens while waiting for a video to start playing. The study showed that users with faster internet connections are actually less patient. Those accustomed to high speeds, like fiber, abandon slow videos faster than those using cable or mobile. This demonstrates a link between human expectations of speed and levels of patience.

Many major religions view patience as a fundamental virtue. In Judaism, the Talmud describes patience as an important personal trait. The story of Micah illustrates this, as he endured challenging conditions by waiting for God. In Christianity, patience is considered one of the most valuable virtues. While it is not one of the traditional cardinal virtues, it is part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul mentioned this in his Epistle to the Galatians.

In Islam, patience with steadfast belief in Allah is called sabr. This is considered one of the best virtues in the faith. Muslims believe that through sabr, an individual can grow closer to God and attain peace. Islamic tradition highlights Job as a model of patience and belief during suffering.

Buddhism and Hinduism offer distinct philosophical definitions of patience. In Buddhism, patience is known as Kshanti, one of the perfections that a bodhisattva practices. This concept is slightly different from the English definition. It refers to the ability to control emotions during an attack and not returning harm to others. The Dhammapada states that enduring patience is the highest austerity. In Hinduism, patience is described as the cheerful endurance of difficult conditions. It includes the capacity to face opposites, like pain and pleasure, without anxiety or a desire for revenge. It is seen as a value reflecting the state of both the body and the mind.

The Sandilya Upanishad in Hinduism identifies ten specific sources of patience and forbearance. These sources are intended to make the spirit stronger for the future. They include Ahimsa, which is non-violence toward all living beings. They also include Satya (truth), Asteya (not coveting property), and Brahmacharya (willingness to remain a bachelor). Other sources are Daya (unconditional kindness), Arjava (refusal to deceive), and Kshama (acceptance of suffering and forgiveness). Finally, the list includes Dhriti (calmness during loss), Mitahara (moderation in consumption), and Saucha (cleansing of body and mind).

Philosophers have also explored the difficulty of maintaining patience. In his 1878 book, Human, All Too Human, Friedrich Nietzsche argued that being able to wait is extremely hard. He noted that even great poets wrote about the inability to wait. Nietzsche suggested that passion often refuses to wait. He used the example of duels to show this. If friends could not convince a person to wait, a duel might occur. This was because waiting would mean continuing the torture of offended honor. This highlights how patience interacts with human emotion and social honor.