(Click on the image for Anna Goldfarb's New York Times report)
"Patience, the ability to keep calm in the face of
disappointment, distress or suffering, is worth cultivating. The virtue is
associated with a variety of positive health outcomes, such as reducing
depression and other negative emotions. Researchers have also concluded that patient people exhibit more prosocial
behaviors like empathy, and were more likely to display generosity and
compassion.
A 2012 study in the Journal of Positive Psychology identified
three distinct expressions of patience: 1. Interpersonal, which is maintaining
calm when dealing with someone who is upset, angry or being a pest. 2. Life
hardships, or finding the silver lining after a serious setback. And 3. Daily
hassles, which is suppressing annoyance at delays or anything irritating that
would inspire a snarky tweet.
The good news is that same study found that patience as a
personality trait is modifiable. Even if you’re not a particularly patient
person today, there’s still hope you can be a more patient person tomorrow. So
if you find yourself getting exasperated more than you’d like, here are ways to
keep those testy impulses in check."