patience vs apathy

It may seem to some that advocating for infinite patience is unwise, escapist, and/or procrastinatory, as it appears to be the same as advocating for inaction. I think this is far from the truth. As I mentioned, without patience, there is no diligence. It is only without patience and diligence that we become escapist or procrastinatory.

There is a huge difference between patiently tolerating an ill and being apathetic about it. Patience, unlike apathy, isn't a force for conserativism, stagnation, and maintaining the status quo, but rather one for long term positive gain, even (or especially) at the expense of short term goals. It is when we give up on our patience that we give in to apathy; we start believing that things can't be done feasibly and shouldn't be attempted.

Time is a very powerful force, and patience gives us the ability to utilize time to our advantage. Without it, we sacrifice our long term goals in the name of short-term gain, which devalues our efforts and our integrity. Time and again we see examples of a lack of patience and diligence in our modern, industrial, capitalist society. We are all guilty of it in one way or another, but we often don't stop to think about its costs. Shoddy products are brought to market before they're ready, quick and dirty energy sources are used instead of more sustainable options, sweeping reforms are dismissed as being too ambitious, and bar-goers drive home before they're sober. The costs we incur for these shortcuts range from a wasted dollar on a broken knick-knack to an enormous loss of life. Unfortunately, these costs are rarely picked up by the ones who lost patience and cut corners, but by the rest of us, who must patiently deal with the consequences.

So if you see things in the world that need change, don't get fed up and angry, and don't be hasty or impetuous. What you should do is diligently strive for improvement, while patiently awaiting the brighter future you intend on creating.