Is Patience Dead?

[Running With Scissors 0]

Just sitting here listening to music and thinking about the world. One thing that has been on my mind lately is patience, a dying virtue for sure. I can't help but look at the differences between generations before us and the children of this generation and notice the crazy difference. It makes me wonder at what point will it be too much?Think about it. I just saw on Digg that Disney is testing out a new way to have people wait to go on rides. Instead of waiting in line, they go inside these air conditioned tents to play games and whatnot until their turn comes around. Sounds fun, but what are we losing? I know I'm sounding like a ranting old man here, but I remember going to theme parks and waiting in line. I remember the build up of excitement and nervousness as we got closer to the front. Especially for the more hyped scary rides, it seemed like you started outside and then went inside where it got darker and darker. Music would play. You were entering the world of the ride and immersed in it because, well, you had no where else to go. After spending a long time in this atmosphere, it was like the ride was the grand climax of the whole story.And what about car trips? DVD players to keep kids occupied in the back seat. Why? I remember driving with my family to Ocean City, MD as a kid. It was about 6 hours I think. Boy it was grueling. Our entertainment consisted of sleeping, answering questions off some trivia cards my mom loved, or playing Gameboy. This was the original Gameboy and all we had was Centipede and Bugs Bunnies Crazy Castle. Hardly the hand held entertainment of today. At one point I did have a cassette player, but unless I had a friend to make me a mixtape, any given tape only had about 3-4 songs I liked. Now it's like the children are immersed in a world of endless entertainment to the point where when you finally arrive at the beach, once again, it loses it's appeal.And what about music? I remember desperately listening to the radio hoping my favorite song would come on. Now, there isn't a time where I don't have immediate access to my favorite song as well as thousands of others. With this constant stream of entertainment assaulting our minds (especially young kids) no wonder everybody seems to be diagnosed with ADD or ADHD. I think it's time we really take a hard look at ourselves and realize it's time to unplug.This is my input. Now what do you think? Agree? Disagree? I put this in the debate forum..so fight me lol

[abazi16 0]

The topic you have chosen is really interesting and I've haven't encounter it anywhere else (Y).I'm with you on that 'cause the everyday technology that we use is making us lazy...OK really lazy, It's true that it has all the advantages but the are disadvantages too that we don't want to see... All the Apocalypse Games, war games, Porn when ever you want, you call your brother/sister that's upstairs on the phone even you could go where by walking and do a little fitness...Oh yeah, now what about sports when I was a bit younger me and my friends used to play all the day long football when we came home we made our homework and fell to sleep 'cause we there really tired and happy yeah and fit . The obesity in America is nowadays a huge problem but the solution is simple " Less Tech(game. cell phones) More Sport(swimming, basketball). These there my two cents, I agree with the thread opener.

[anwiii 17]

in some ways, i think patience is dead. in other ways, i don't. if it's between waiting 2 hours in line or playing a game, i would play a game to pass the time. nobody every liked waiting in line especially when that's all you're doing all day if you go to disneyland for 12 hours, and can manage to ride 20 rides, each one lasts 5 minutes on the average which equals 1 hour and 40 minutes. the other 10+ hours is walking around and waiting in lines haha. so i think disney's proposal is a good one.as far as car rides, i used to take long car trips and vacations as a kid. they were grueling. even with the i spy and other road games we used to play when there was no such thing as a lot of the high tech equipment we are used to seeing today. i thing it's great that kids have a way to pass the time more easily. they are less apt to get sick and ask that never ending question, "are we there yet" or "how much longer". i grew up with two sisters so when we would get bored playing all the games we brought with us or the car games that require nothing more than a voice, we would argue and fight. this wouldn't happen if we had other things to occupy our time. it's good for the parents too.times have definately changed. some for the better, but mostly for the worst. kids will now spend their free time indoors playing video games or on the computer rather than play outside in the fresh air on a bright sunny day. but do these things really have to do with patience? naw....but look at all the drivethroughs now. it's not just fast food anymore. nobody wants to wait in lines or get out of their care. patience? naw....everything described has nothing to do with patience. it has everything to do with how lazy we have grown to be as a society.....and people wonder why we are gaining weight....storing fat and energy because our bodies know something that we fail to realize.

[OpaQue 15]

Any person who is spiritual knows that Patience is a virtue of the HIGHER POWER. I completely agree to you all.

[Rigaudon 0]

Words, words, words! Useless words! Stop making me read a bunch of text and get to the point!But no, in reality, I think patience is slowly drifting away in a frantic and tense world. If you take the time to notice, hardly anyone stops just to enjoy the world around them and being alive.It seems that the only time one goes outside now is to go into their car. Humans have advanced to the point where everything they need is practically handed to them.I can't say I'm not guilty of this; I haven't gone outside just to walk and enjoy it for a few months now. People today are so preoccupied in their everyday lives.As for car trips and Disney tents, they sound like good ideas to me, but I think only because I'm part of the generation that doesn't want to wait and always hopes for instant gratification.Actually, even now, I'm clicking "add reply" multiple times because flood control prevents me from posting or something, at an interval of once every half second between seeing the flood control warning , going back, and posting again. Things like this seem so natural to me that I hardly even notice anymore.

[sheepdog 10]

Oh yes, I agree, patience is long dead, along with respect, decency and especially common sense. Nobody wants to wait for anything anymore. Instant gratification is what it's all about. Granted, I hate waiting in line, or waiting for a web page to load just as bad as anybody else. But there are some times when patience can also be a pleasure. Like checking every day on the coloring of the first home grown tomato of the season. Watching and waiting as the first one turns from green to yellow, and finally that glorious day when it's red and ripe and you finally get to eat it. Same goes with with the first ripe plum. Reaching up threw the branches every day to give it a gental squeeze to see if it is soft and ripe and ready to eat. I think all that waiting is what helps make it taste so good!

[networker 0]

Who needs patience when everything is so readily available?Because it's so readily available, we also take these things for granted.We expect our music to be free, and also beceause we can find pleasure ata moments notice in a dvd player or computer, we are less inclined to goout and see a real band play. Less inclined also, to interact with other peoplein real live situations. One day for sure the way we are going, people will have microchips embeded in theirbrains for instant information and entertainement. Probably in the very near future.

[k_nitin_r 8]

Patience is dead. No arguing there. It is dead. R.I.P., Patience. People these days just have no patience, just like the guy who I saw run the red light yesterday despite the heavy traffic fine that he could have had to pay, not to mention the 15-day impounding of his vehicle.The day when we could take a walk in the morning for the pleasure rather than the weight loss, the day when we could wait in a queue with the excitement building up rather than the irritation, and the time when we could wait at a restaurant table for the meal to cook rather than remind the waiter (or waitress) about how much time has passed, are long gone.People demand perfection, yet they say, "I want it NOW!!" They then complain about something that hasn't been done very well and blame it on worksmanship. People insist they have the ambition to grow, yet they lack the patience to develop their skills to get to where they want to be. People complain about other around them, yet they fail to take the time to get to know them and understand their circumstances.Where does impatience come from? What makes people get upset when others take just a little longer than they usually do to perform something? Over commitment. People have way too much to do and they lack the time and the resources to do it. Moving away from joint families that were common in the past and moving toward smaller nuclear families has had fewer people trying to get more done. Single moms try to balance the pressures of work life with raising the kids. People are increasingly committing themselves to more than they can actually perform in order to make an extra buck and they lack the work ethic to finish what they already have before going out to get more. They crave recognition over responsibility. They want to be rewarded for work done before it actually gets done, yet once their pockets are filled their mind wanders onto the next piece of work without the patience to complete something that they have actually been paid for.Patience was taught at a very young age when people had to work to satisfy their cravings for a cone of ice cream or a bar of chocolate. Adults of today have failed to learn what children of previous generations had learned and practiced. People today place too much value on money and less on getting something done just right, spending time with family, and being nice to other people.@Running with scissorsMP3 players and portable video players have their uses for meaningful stuff too - you can use them to catch up with listening to verses from the bible, if you have a greater value for religion and the message of God, or watching an episode of a series that you have to create a write-up about, if you value time and want to get more accomplished in lesser time. @anwiiA long time ago, I used to get car sick and I would think to myself, "When will this end?" It wasn't really a lack of patience. I would sit quietly in the back seat, looking out the window. Hey, "are we there yet," is the name of a film, isn't it?@OpaqueThat is very true. Patience is often considered a part of spirituality. We see Buddhist monks always in their calm and composed state. Many religious practitioners, meditate to clear their minds and make themselves more patient.@RigaudonThe flood control gets so annoying! I know it may seem like I'm being impatient, but I've got other stuff to do and I'd like to finish posting the message that I've composed before I start on that other thing. Sure, posting more than half a dozen different messages in under twenty minutes is a lot, but if all I want to do is post four reply messages within fifteen minutes and then return to the forum the next day, it does get very restrictive and limit participation in the forums.@Sheep DogI believe all of them, respect, decency, common sense, and patience, are tied together in some way. People of older generations took the time to show their respect for other people, and they took the time to think through their decisions. Making decisions at the spur of the moment may sound like it is a smart thing to do, considering the current emphasis on efficiency and speed, but a well thought plan can go much further than a half-baked idea that was put into place in haste. More and more people are developing animal-like tendencies, with irritation and violence mounting among people waiting in queues.

[OpaQue 15]

One day for sure the way we are going, people will have microchips embeded in theirbrains for instant information and entertainement. Probably in the very near future.

Whoa man, this is scary!

@Running with scissors
MP3 players and portable video players have their uses for meaningful stuff too - you can use them to catch up with listening to verses from the bible, if you have a greater value for religion and the message of God, or watching an episode of a series that you have to create a write-up about, if you value time and want to get more accomplished in lesser time.

I agree, I have used subliminal music in my past while sleeping and I still use ambient music and devotional mantras from youtube to cool myself down.

@Opaque
That is very true. Patience is often considered a part of spirituality. We see Buddhist monks always in their calm and composed state. Many religious practitioners, meditate to clear their minds and make themselves more patient.

Patience is much deeper than what you think Nitin. Please understand what M. Gandhi said, "Plan like u gonna LIVE forever, Live like you gonna DIE today!"... more correctly, he said "Live as if your were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever. -- Gandhiji" Can you feel patience in his statement while learning?

[anwiii 17]

Patience is dead. No arguing there. It is dead. R.I.P., Patience. People these days just have no patience, just like the guy who I saw run the red light yesterday despite the heavy traffic fine that he could have had to pay, not to mention the 15-day impounding of his vehicle.
The day when we could take a walk in the morning for the pleasure rather than the weight loss, the day when we could wait in a queue with the excitement building up rather than the irritation, and the time when we could wait at a restaurant table for the meal to cook rather than remind the waiter (or waitress) about how much time has passed, are long gone.

People demand perfection, yet they say, "I want it NOW!!" They then complain about something that hasn't been done very well and blame it on worksmanship. People insist they have the ambition to grow, yet they lack the patience to develop their skills to get to where they want to be. People complain about other around them, yet they fail to take the time to get to know them and understand their circumstances.

Where does impatience come from? What makes people get upset when others take just a little longer than they usually do to perform something? Over commitment. People have way too much to do and they lack the time and the resources to do it. Moving away from joint families that were common in the past and moving toward smaller nuclear families has had fewer people trying to get more done. Single moms try to balance the pressures of work life with raising the kids. People are increasingly committing themselves to more than they can actually perform in order to make an extra buck and they lack the work ethic to finish what they already have before going out to get more. They crave recognition over responsibility. They want to be rewarded for work done before it actually gets done, yet once their pockets are filled their mind wanders onto the next piece of work without the patience to complete something that they have actually been paid for.

Patience was taught at a very young age when people had to work to satisfy their cravings for a cone of ice cream or a bar of chocolate. Adults of today have failed to learn what children of previous generations had learned and practiced. People today place too much value on money and less on getting something done just right, spending time with family, and being nice to other people.

woa. where did that come from. believe me, i have been around. i also grew up in los angeles california and it's not even half as bad as you described it. if patience were as dead as you are explaining, the freeway intersection 405/101 or 405/10 in losangeles between 4-7pm would have a lot more honking involved.

also, i do believe it depends on where you are at. there is a big difference between a big city and smaller towns. smaller town are more laid back and i do have to say there is much patience depending on where you are.

and down south, there is a LOT of patience. i like fishing myself. down south, the crab fish with the aligators. they throw their line out the women read while the men smoke a cigarette and drink a beer for 15 minutes before pulling the line back in. that is patience buddy....and then making sure the aligators don't eat their catch before they pull in their line. that's their meal for the night btw so they are out their trying to catch for their whole family.

so i don't think the original poster really described patience very well. but what i have experienced, the busier the city or town, the less patience people have. i mean, i can sit outside for a couple hours alone doing nothing but trying to clear my head and notice those little things people pass on by without even a glance. in los angeles, that's almost unheard of. but in small towns, it's more common than you think. now that is only one example of patience. my dad(still living in los angeles) was a stock broker all his life. he had one of the most hectic up and down jobs there were. he's retired now and i see him tying flies for when he goes flyfishing. ever seen anyone tie a fly? it requires patience. another example. i saw pateince all around me in the big city, but that isn't to say there is also a lot of impatience.....but not as you had described it

to me, impatience revolves around stress related issue. issues that cause stress, which in turn causes impatience. so when people say patience is dead, what they are really saying, if you dig deeper to find out where the impatience is actually coming from, is that nobody is stress free. impatience does not come before stress. but just because you have stress, doesn't mean you are impatient. everyone has stress in their lives. i don't care WHO you are. so the ones who can control their stress are the ones who has the greater chance of being patient. the most impatient people in the world are those that are who are trying to move faster than life will allow them so opaque is right in a sense when quoting Gandhiji. i'm sure it can mean different things, but to me, it means to do those things that are most important to you and master those things as if there was no time limit. time limits definately create impatience if people set time limits on themselves. but why don't we hear as much honking on the busiest freeways in the world where i grew up? because people grow accustomed to having the correct mind set. sure, they would rather there be no traffic. but at the same time, they have all learned patience and how to deal with stress when wanting to be home sooner after work.

i certainly don't think patience is dead, but we have all grown accustomed to being more lazy and those things that technology has offered and we all take for granted. like the big city where i was born and raised. you can find anything you want within a 5 mile radius. if someone needs a gallon of milk and the store is 5 blocks away. what do we do? we DRIVE. we don't walk haha. although this situation doesn't describe patience as it does laziness but patience is certainly involved when we think we have time limits. but maybe that could just be usefull time budgeting and not impatience or laziness. after all, no matter what Gandhiji said, there are still only 24 hours in each day and we just MIGHT die tomorrow.....

[roger112 0]

Just sitting here listening to music and thinking about the world. One thing that has been on my mind lately is patience, a dying virtue for sure. I can't help but look at the differences between generations before us and the children of this generation and notice the crazy difference. It makes me wonder at what point will it be too much?
Think about it. I just saw on Digg that Disney is testing out a new way to have people wait to go on rides. Instead of waiting in line, they go inside these air conditioned tents to play games and whatnot until their turn comes around. Sounds fun, but what are we losing? I know I'm sounding like a ranting old man here, but I remember going to theme parks and waiting in line. I remember the build up of excitement and nervousness as we got closer to the front. Especially for the more hyped scary rides, it seemed like you started outside and then went inside where it got darker and darker. Music would play. You were entering the world of the ride and immersed in it because, well, you had no where else to go. After spending a long time in this atmosphere, it was like the ride was the grand climax of the whole story.

And what about car trips? DVD players to keep kids occupied in the back seat. Why? I remember driving with my family to Ocean City, MD as a kid. It was about 6 hours I think. Boy it was grueling. Our entertainment consisted of sleeping, answering questions off some trivia cards my mom loved, or playing Gameboy. This was the original Gameboy and all we had was Centipede and Bugs Bunnies Crazy Castle. Hardly the hand held entertainment of today. At one point I did have a cassette player, but unless I had a friend to make me a mixtape, any given tape only had about 3-4 songs I liked. Now it's like the children are immersed in a world of endless entertainment to the point where when you finally arrive at the beach, once again, it loses it's appeal.

And what about music? I remember desperately listening to the radio hoping my favorite song would come on. Now, there isn't a time where I don't have immediate access to my favorite song as well as thousands of others. With this constant stream of entertainment assaulting our minds (especially young kids) no wonder everybody seems to be diagnosed with ADD or ADHD. I think it's time we really take a hard look at ourselves and realize it's time to unplug.

This is my input. Now what do you think? Agree? Disagree? I put this in the debate forum..so fight me lol

I agree, people are no longer patient these days.

I live in a very quiet and peaceful place but people just want to speed and get wherever they're going without a flippin care in the world. Already this year, the death toll from accidents is past last year's!! lol

I think technology really has a lot to do with it. Today how many of us demand more bandwidth or just switch off our computers if they freeze 'for too long'?? Technology has improved a millionfold and people are merely adjusting. There is so much to do right now that its time wasted when you wait for something to finish.

Its like everyone is in a race and our productivity levels in the history of the human race are at the peakest so I think its very good for people not to contend with stuff that may be boring, etc etc.

yes to the extinction of patience...!!

[chini13 11]

Patience is a virtue but unfortunately it is lacking in people these days.We want everything very quickly without making much effort.Reason is that life has become more competitive, the technological advancement have made it easy of us to read people and places and to reach many of our daily tasks quickly.We get everything very fast and so our mindset has changed.We are no patient enough to wait in the Que. All the success should reach us before time.We are really competitive in this globalization era our minds are running faster than anything, we have become more greedy.The daily changes and upliftment of the technology will make many more things fast and easy.But we forget in this run that this is a useless competition for the material. What are we running for, when our minds are not in rest and we are having a stressful life.Higher purpose of life is lost somewhere.

[Kaf 0]

Yes we're becoming less patient because we are becoming conditioned to have these things (ipod, computer, tv) at our fingertips 24/7. People "Back in the day" didn't have that luxury, and im sure that given the chance, you would rather have your favorite song rather than wait for it.