Patience as a Virtue

Patience as a Virtue
Patience is a virtue, so the old cliché goes. From the old Aristotelian conception to contemporary literature, patience as a virtue is considered both instrumentally good for those that have it and good when demonstrated to others (Vigani, 2017). The same is repeated in Paul’s letter to Galatians where the attribute represents one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Overall, patience helps those that possess it to achieve goals and makes other virtues more efficacious. In the Christian perspective, patience is akin to hope, which is preceded by belief. Thomas Aquinas argues that the interplay between hope and patience allows Christians to tolerate evils inflicted by their neighbors (Blascikova, 2013). This hope, tolerance, and patience breed love and forgiveness, which are virtues necessary to coexist in modern societies.
The essential or fundamental characteristics of virtue are displayed among those in possession of the same. Virtuous people are excellent, morally good, and admirable, or those that feel and act according to the universally accepted truism. Contrary, the lack of phronesis or practical wisdom makes people fall short of virtue. Therefore, a virtue represents excellent behaviors, such as honesty, and is well entranced among ...