Thank you very much for your post. The sensitive situation you described in South Africa reminds me of one of the criticisms of positive psychology, that it can’t deal with the ‘real problems’ of the world.

Honestly, it’s hard for me to answer your question, especially without knowing more about the situation. However, my first impression is that no one can tell or explain to the people who have been waiting for their homes to be more patient. In this situation, I think it’d be interesting to see what resources these people use to continue on, despite the failed promises of their government. Perhaps patience, however you define it, is one of the strengths that facilitates better adaptation in this circumstance.

Just a preliminary thought to a very complicated and thought provoking question…thank you for starting this discussion.

Best,
Dana

thoughts …i am concerned

I remember this exercise. I think I selected Endurance … which is certainly a close cousin to Patience, if not a great overlap.

Persistence is part of it, but misses a warmth and other-focus that are part of Patience. I associate the word Patience with good parental behavior and good teaching. Not rushing things that take time to unfold. I think I learned the word patience as a descriptive term for the way my mother sometimes was — and sometimes was not.

Mindfulness certainly overlaps Patience — with the ability to observe without judging. But I don’t think they are the same. Patience is more nurturing.

Of course, God didn’t hand Moses a tablet with the 24 strengths written on it. I sometimes think that there is a male bias in the 24 strengths that are in the first cut, not just because Marty and Chris are both male — after all, Katherine Dahlsgaard was instrumental in the early work and Nansook Park has also been very involved. But the very basis of the 24 strengths on philosophical and religious texts across time and place means relying on the points of view of people who were actors and instigators rather than the ones of the people who were patiently picking up the pieces and putting them back together (reminds me of Zainab Salbi’s description of the role of women during war — http://www.womenforwomen.org/zainab.htm).

Do you still have your Patience essay? Perhaps you could extend this post with the ways Patience matched the criteria for a strength.

Kathryn

I think you are talking about mindfulness.

Take patience. Is it a waiting room strength or linked to the larger issue of tolerance? I guess it has a negotiated meaning for whomever is involved.