Patience vs Endurance
Even though the words patience and endurance sound familiar as both denote accepting difficulty and tolerating an unpleasant situation, these words have specific meanings that highlight that there is a difference between patience and endurance. First let us pay attention to the definitions of the words. Patience can be defined as the ability to accept delay or trouble calmly. On the other hand, endurance can be defined as experiencing and surviving pain or hardship. The main difference between the two words can be understood in the following manner. Patience is usually associated with the manner in which we deal with wrongdoings that have been made against us, but endurance is usually associated with difficult circumstances in life. Through this article let us examine the differences between these two words while gaining an understanding of each word.
What is Patience?
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, patience can be defined as the ability to accept delay or trouble calmly. This highlights that patience is a quality that is seen in individuals when they experience issues in life. For instance, when a person is wronged by another, he would be patient and forgive the other, or else he would seek revenge. In such a context, the person who displays patience is considered the better person.
Also, patience can be used in a context where an individual is tolerant of another. For example, a teacher is extremely patient with weak students. In such a situation, the word patience is not used in the sense of wrongdoing but merely as tolerance. Let us observe some more examples.
She patiently listened to the child even though he was lying.
He was running out of patience.
She patiently waited her turn in the queue.
In all the examples, the word patient is used in situations where the person is tolerant of another.
‘She patiently waited her turn in the queue’
What is Endurance?
The Oxford English Dictionary defined the word endurance as experiencing and surviving pain or hardship. Mostly the word endure is used for difficult situations we encounter in life. It gives the idea that the individual does not succumb to the obstacles but holds on. For example, imagine a person whose life situation is extremely negative. He has no proper place to live and a painstaking job. The individual endures his condition with the hope that he will survive and that his situation in life will be better. This gives away the idea that endurance is a bit different to patience. Let us look at some sentences.
His friends were marveled by his endurance in life.
She had no choice but to endure.
In both cases, the word endure refers to obstacles that an individual experiences, rather than wrongdoing.
‘She had no choice but to endure’
What is the difference between Patience and Endurance?
• Definitions of Patience and Endurance:
• Patience can be defined as the ability to accept delay or trouble calmly.
• Endurance can be defined as experiencing and surviving pain or hardship.
• Self-Control:
• Patience and endurance are words that are associated with self-control.
• Wrongdoing and Difficult Circumstances:
• Patience is usually associated with the manner in which we deal with wrongdoings that have been made against us.
• Endurance is usually associated with difficult circumstances in life.
Images Courtesy:
- Queue by Jimmcgovern15 (CC BY-SA 3.0)
- Thinking woman via Wikicommons (Public Domain)
