Can impatience be virtuous?

South African Journal of Philosophy 41 (4):360-368 (2022)
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Abstract

Suppose that Linda, Brian’s partner, is on a business trip. Brian cannot wait for her to come home. It would be plausible to construe his attitude as impatience, and claim that it is called for in this type of situation. But if this is indeed the case, then patience is uncalled for. However, it seems that patience cannot be uncalled for, as it is considered a virtue. So goes the common expression, and so attest all of the philosophical analyses of patience in recent decades. Discussing them, I claim that patience is not always the right attitude. Enthusiasm and excitement, which might be impatient, have their own merits. Furthermore, as patience involves not only waiting, but also enduring or persevering, it might also be the case that one endures too much and thus allows vice to flourish. Being truly virtuous has to do with knowing when and how to be patient, but also when and how to be impatient.

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The Virtue of Patience.Anne Jeffrey & Timothy Pawl - 2025 - Philosophy Compass 20 (3):e70025.

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References found in this work

The Nicomachean Ethics. Aristotle - 1951 - Revue Philosophique de la France Et de l'Etranger 143:477-478.
Anger and moral judgment.Glen Pettigrove - 2014 - Australasian Journal of Philosophy 92 (2):269-286.
Is Patience a Virtue?Denise Vigani - 2017 - Journal of Value Inquiry 51 (2):327-340.
Patience and Courage.Eamonn Callan - 1993 - Philosophy 68 (266):523 - 539.
Patience and Perspective.Nicolas Bommarito - 2014 - Philosophy East and West 64 (2):269-286.

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