Here are some random thoughts that have arisen from the discussion that started on my previous post about whether or not patience is a virtue, as the saying goes.
First thought: As I hinted in the other post, the word virtue comes from the Latin vir, meaning a man. So, for the ancient Romans, the good qualities of a person that we now call virtues were those qualities which go to make a good man. Women, of course, had no place in society, no vote, no rights, and they were legally deprived of citizenship, being subject entirely to the whim of their father or husband. So the qualities were those of an honourable man, and that is why the word has come to us as "virtue".
The notions of honour in Roman society were actually quite similar to those of the Samurai, which many people in the present day seem to admire, often at the same time criticising the honour system of the West, which comes to us from the Romans. But that's another matter altogether.
In the first few centuries of the Common Era, when Christianity was spreading fast across the Roman Empire, it began to be accepted that there were just seven virtues. They were:
Prudence
Temperance
Justice
Fortitude
Faith
Hope
Love
The last three were considered to be religious virtues, and the first four were called cardinal virtues. Why cardinal virtues? Because there were those who enjoyed the idea of a system, and would look for all kinds of correspondences in everything. So they associated each of the four virtues with a point of the compass, North, South, East, and West. The four virtues also were associated with the elements Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. Also each of them was associated with three of the star-signs of Astrology, and further with certain of the cards in the so-called Major Arcana of the Tarot pack.
I mention these purely as historical curiosities. If anyone wants to believe that these associations are valid, you are more than welcome to, but personally I think they go just a little bit too far!
The last one of the "religious" virtues, Love, needs some explaining. It used to be known as "charity", but this came from an over-literal translation in the King James Bible of the word caritas. This word means love, in a caring sort of way, note the similarity. Our word charity means alms-giving, and this sense of alms-giving is not really present in the Bible passage in question, which is from 1 Corinthians 13. This is the passage that a lot of people get read out at their wedding.
It's not only that last one that needs explaining though. All the others, in one way or another, need to be examined carefully if we are to decide whether or not we are leading the virtuous life by keeping to them...
The thing is, I'm running out of time on this post, so if anyone else would like to start the ball rolling, so to speak, feel free!
Maybe could start by wondering why is it that PATIENCE does not appear on the list?
Showing posts with label patience. Show all posts
Showing posts with label patience. Show all posts
Patience - is it really a virtue?
Patience is a virtue,
Possess it if you can,
Seldom found in woman,
Never found in man.
I found this quote on Google. It's anonymous, as far as I know. Sounds ok, doesn't it? But is it true?
Most of us nowadays, when we consider doing something, like buying a product, joining a club, trying a new diet, or maybe cultivating virtue, tend to ask ourselves: What's in it for me? (Be honest now!) So perhaps we should look at exactly what virtue means before going any further...
The word virtue comes to us via Old French, from the Latin virtus. This word in Latin means manliness or courage, and it in turn is from the word vir, which means a man. Our word virile is from the same source. The word virtus also has the meaning of "effectiveness" and we see this use in the word virtual. As in "virtual reality", giving the sense of something that has the effect of being real.
Ok so far? For the Romans, someone who showed manliness or courage was automatically a good sort of person, so the word virtue came to be applied to those qualities that a courageous and manly fellow would have.
If you look at the quote at the top though, it seems that patience is a virtue that men don't have at all.
Looking a bit further into this, if you look at the word patience, you find something even more interesting. It again comes from Latin, patientia, with the original meaning of "endurance". If we look a bit closer we find that the word passion comes from the same root word. Also the Greek word pathos (suffering) is from the same root meaning, and this one comes into words like "sympathy" (suffering together). The word passion tends to have a sexy sort of meaning for most people today, but in former times, it meant suffering. So for example, there was the Passion of Jesus on the cross, meaning the suffering.
I found another quote, this time from someone called Lyman Adams (who I have to confess I never heard of before), which goes, "Patience is passion tamed." This seems a bit absurd now. Rather like saying "Green is green".
Here's another quote I found. "Patience can't be acquired overnight. It is just like building up a muscle. Every day you need to work on it."
(I think that's enough quotes for one day.) But the question is: Why should you bother to acquire patience?
Well first, there are many situations where you just won't get what you want right this instant, or even this year. So why stress about it? Have patience!
Sometimes, to keep a good relationship going, you need to practise the art of forbearance, not getting angry with your partner or parents or children, even when you have good cause to. Have patience!
Or when you see the events in the world not really going the way you think they should? Do whatever you can, and hope for the best to come. Have patience!
All these situations have got something in them for you to gain if you have patience in them.
So what do you think? Patience really is a virtue then?
Just one more quote, and this is the last one, I promise!
"Patience is something you admire in the driver behind you, but not in the one ahead."
Possess it if you can,
Seldom found in woman,
Never found in man.
I found this quote on Google. It's anonymous, as far as I know. Sounds ok, doesn't it? But is it true?
Most of us nowadays, when we consider doing something, like buying a product, joining a club, trying a new diet, or maybe cultivating virtue, tend to ask ourselves: What's in it for me? (Be honest now!) So perhaps we should look at exactly what virtue means before going any further...
The word virtue comes to us via Old French, from the Latin virtus. This word in Latin means manliness or courage, and it in turn is from the word vir, which means a man. Our word virile is from the same source. The word virtus also has the meaning of "effectiveness" and we see this use in the word virtual. As in "virtual reality", giving the sense of something that has the effect of being real.
Ok so far? For the Romans, someone who showed manliness or courage was automatically a good sort of person, so the word virtue came to be applied to those qualities that a courageous and manly fellow would have.
If you look at the quote at the top though, it seems that patience is a virtue that men don't have at all.
Looking a bit further into this, if you look at the word patience, you find something even more interesting. It again comes from Latin, patientia, with the original meaning of "endurance". If we look a bit closer we find that the word passion comes from the same root word. Also the Greek word pathos (suffering) is from the same root meaning, and this one comes into words like "sympathy" (suffering together). The word passion tends to have a sexy sort of meaning for most people today, but in former times, it meant suffering. So for example, there was the Passion of Jesus on the cross, meaning the suffering.
I found another quote, this time from someone called Lyman Adams (who I have to confess I never heard of before), which goes, "Patience is passion tamed." This seems a bit absurd now. Rather like saying "Green is green".
Here's another quote I found. "Patience can't be acquired overnight. It is just like building up a muscle. Every day you need to work on it."
(I think that's enough quotes for one day.) But the question is: Why should you bother to acquire patience?
Well first, there are many situations where you just won't get what you want right this instant, or even this year. So why stress about it? Have patience!
Sometimes, to keep a good relationship going, you need to practise the art of forbearance, not getting angry with your partner or parents or children, even when you have good cause to. Have patience!
Or when you see the events in the world not really going the way you think they should? Do whatever you can, and hope for the best to come. Have patience!
All these situations have got something in them for you to gain if you have patience in them.
So what do you think? Patience really is a virtue then?
Just one more quote, and this is the last one, I promise!
"Patience is something you admire in the driver behind you, but not in the one ahead."
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