hold your horses!

Some say that patience is a virtue. I might be inclined to say its THE virtue. While it doesn't find itself on the list of 4 cardinal virtues, it is included as one of the seven heavenly or holy virtues, which are corollary and contrary to the seven deadly sins. Though it is included, I would dare say that its importance is highly under appreciated.

Just so we're all on the same page, the word "patient," from Merriam-Webster, can mean the following:
1 : bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint
2 : manifesting forbearance under provocation or strain
3 : not hasty or impetuous
4 : steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity

When living in close quarters with others, especially those who have a particularly different world view than yourself, like college roommates or puppies, the value of patience (hopefully) becomes quite clear. It teaches moderation and tolerance, compromise and kindness. I think that with unlimited patience, one could live a completely happy and virtuous life ad infinitum.

Looking at the list of deadly sins - Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride - I see a lack of patience in some form or another in every one. The direct counterpart to patience, Wrath, is obviously related, as wrath comes from a lack of patience for just about any pain, whether physical or otherwise. But even still, if I look at the other 6 heavenly virtues - Chastity, Temperance, Charity, Diligence, Kindness, and Humility - I still see patience, just for more subtle things. Chastity is having the patience to endure celibacy and resist sexual temptation. Temperance is having the patience to endure hunger and resist the temptation of excess. Charity is the patience to endure poverty and resist the temptation of wealth. Diligence is the patience to endure drudgery and resist the the temptation of laziness. Kindness is the patience to endure negativity and resist the temptation of objectification. Humility is the patience to endure dehumanization and resist the temptation of self-affirmation.

Now I'm not going to argue that celibacy, hunger, poverty, drudgery, pain, negativity, and dehumanization are fun or positive things. But, they are all things that we run into in our lives, to one degree or another. By giving into the "deadly sins," we are simply passing these adversities off to someone else, whether directly or indirectly. Patience gives us the ability to deal with these adversities in a way that breaks the cycle of doing harm to others. By patiently enduring, we can enrich the lives of everyone around us, including ourselves.