Comments on: Endurance as the 25th Strength

By: Kathryn Britton

Kathryn Britton — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 18:54:28 +0000

Steve,
Interesting distinction, that mindfulness is a means to endurance, but perhaps not the only means. It gives me something to think about. It’s hard to tease different concepts apart sometimes. For example, can Endurance be expressed as a compound strength made up of other elemental strengths? In my opinion, no. But I suspect there are people to argue that it consists of forgiveness + persistence + judgment with a little humility thrown in. But then, are forgiveness and judgment really elemental?

Kathryn

By: Kathryn Britton

Kathryn Britton — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 22:23:26 +0000

Margaret, Yes! for unsung heroes. What comes to my mind are numerous characters in the Anne of Green Gables books — including Anne herself who gave up a scholarship to college to stay home and help Marilla run the farm — Matthew had just died and Marilla’s eyesight was dimming. There’s a special beauty to such behavior.

Thanks for your vote
Kathryn

By: Margaret Greenberg

Margaret Greenberg — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:24:07 +0000

Kathryn – the examples you give in both your article and your comments make me think of “unsung heroes”. To George’s point they don’t typically get “gasps from TV viewers”. When I think of endurance I often think of having the stamina to make it through a long haul/race. Thanks for this enlightening definition. You have my vote! Margaret

By: Steve

Steve — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 03:25:55 +0000

I would state that endurance is different than mindfulness. I would think of mindfulness as one means of achieving and practicing endurance. Thanks for your thoughtful writing on this topic. I love the serenity prayer, and use it often to navigate life’s challenges.

By: Kathryn Britton

Kathryn Britton — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:53:09 +0000

George, We had an article a few days ago about frames of meaning for life that represent different cultural perspectives on strengths and virtues and other positive psychology concepts. I think men as a whole and women as a whole have different frames of meaning for life as well. When I read about the Courage strengths in CSV, I feel like whole facets of life that are a major reality to the lives of women are left out. I think about Zainab Salbi who started Women-to-Women International who talks about the under-spoken side of war -- the women who hold families together and rebuild communities amidst the ravages of war. I think about the Lechow family in Margot Benary-Isbert's wonderful stories about life in Germany right after the end of WW II (The Ark, Rowan Farm) -- the father comes home halfway through the second book. In the meantime, the mother and 4 remaining children (one was shot when they were forced out of their home) have been moved multiple times to new cities, and are now starting to rebuild a home life once again in the requisitioned attic of a private home. So perhaps you are right that Bravery and Endurance/Patience are two sides of the same coin. It's just that the Endurance/Patience side is seldom uppermost. Kathryn

By: Kathryn Britton

Kathryn Britton — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:39:30 +0000

Amanda,
I too think endurance and mindfulness are strongly related, but I can imagine Endurance/Patience without Mindfulness while it is hard to imagine Mindfulness without Endurance/Patience. This makes me think that Endurance/Patience is more elemental — like copper — while Mindfulness is more of an alloy — like bronze. And notice that we do not have a Copper Age in history! So mindfulness seems more powerful.

Or perhaps I’m making too much of the metaphor.

Kathryn

By: George Vaillant

George Vaillant — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 10:45:32 +0000

Kathryn
I think your argument for endurance is very strong and I loved the quote from Horton. That is a favorite of mine. My own druthers would be to subsume courage under endurance. The flashy part of courage, that gets gasps from TV viewers is often rashness, risktaking and dissociation – the opposite of mindfullness.
Having spent my life studying resilience, I see it as the whole shooting match, not a single strength. Resilience = health.
Thanks
George

By: Amanda Horne

Amanda Horne — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 03:31:53 +0000

Kathryn, I enjoyed reading your article, and also Wayne’s and Senia’s comments on mindfulness and resilience. I too thought of mindfulness when I read your works “Endurance is the side of courage that faces hardship with serenity and acceptance.”. Through being mindful, we can find the way to endure, and the reasons to endure.
I also think there are strong links between your article and Sherri’s on self-sacrifice.

Thanks!
Amanda

By: Senia

Senia — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:59:21 +0000

Kathryn,
Thanks – that’s a nice distinction – that Endurance could be a strength and resilience could be a mode that we can move into.
S.

By: WJ

WJ — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 21:06:48 +0000

Kathryn, I suspect that there probably are compound strengths that are more than the sum of the individual strengths that from them. I also suspect that mindfulness includes curiosity