Are you a patient person?

Written by Liting 2022 Cohort

This is a personal answer to one of the New York Times Learning Network topics. For details, check https://www.nytimes.com/ca/section/learning

I believe I’m patient enough with others, but I’m not a patient person with myself. I occasionally get angry if the game loading slowly; I will give up watching if the video freezes; I also get annoyed if there are many things I didn’t finish before a deadline. But in my opinion, It might just be part of my personality, an expression of emotion in my own life; it doesn’t bother me.

When was the last time you lost your patience? Tell us about it.

I still remember that it was a Sunday last month, and I had just finished my homework and was resting on the sofa. At this time, my mother video calls me and asks about my recent life. I briefly tell her about my current events. My mother said she hoped I could show her my apartment in this video, but I suddenly became impatient. Because I know that I also showed her in the video call last time. So I said, “It is unnecessary to show you again, right?” After I spoke, I realized my attitude was not very good. So I got up from the sofa and showed my mother where I lived again, even the neighbourhood and scenery outside.

We seem to be patient with our friends, classmates, and teachers but not with our loved ones.😭

What are my strategies for dealing with impatience? I usually use empathy to deal with conflicts caused by impatience. For example, when that emotion arises, I will consider a win-win communication style — or setting the “Pause button.” When I feel impatient, I will stop talking about the current topic. After my mood stabilizes, continue that topic with empathy.