Laurie Wilhelm offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print. Feel free to use this article in your newsletter, website, ezine, blog, or forum. ----------- PUBLICATION GUIDELINES - You have permission to publish this article for free providing the "About the Author" box is included in its entirety. - Do not post/reprint this article in any site or publication that contains hate, violence, porn, warez, or supports illegal activity. - Do not use this article in violation of the US CAN-SPAM Act. If sent by email, this article must be delivered to opt-in subscribers only. - If you publish this article in a format that supports linking, please ensure that all URLs and email addresses are active links. - Please send a copy of the publication, or an email indicating the URL to [email protected] - Article Marketer (www.ArticleMarketer.com) has distributed this article on behalf of the author. Article Marketer does not own this article, please respect the author's copyright and publication guidelines. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use this article. ----------- Article Title: Patience and Good Social Skills Author: Laurie Wilhelm Category: Personal Development, Relationships Word Count: 513 Keywords: being patient, social skills, interpersonal skills, getting along with others, patience Author's Email Address: [email protected] Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com ------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------
"A handful of patience is worth more than a bushel of brains." ~ Dutch Proverb There are many things of which our world needs more. One of those is patience - with ourselves and others. Patience is the willingness to calmly suppress negative emotions, such as anger or frustration, when faced with delay or aggravation. The key word in this definition is "willingness." Granted, some people seem to naturally have more patience than others; however, just because patience doesn't come "naturally" or we have to work on it is no excuse to allow ourselves to be impatient. We all encounter situations that frustrate us and test our patience. This happens to everyone and when it does, we have to make a conscious effort to be calm. It's not that being patient, per se, is a social skill but acting out in frustration or anger because of a lack of patience is definitely not a good social skill. Take, for example, a long line-up at the grocery store. It's moving very slowly and is causing those waiting for service a good amount of frustration. What kind of society would we be living in if everyone in the line became agitated, began stomping their feet and calling out criticisms or insults at the clerk? Do they actually believe that acting this way will make the line move faster? Are they contributing to a solution or adding to the problem? How could they think there will be no equally negative reaction from the person at whom they're directing their anger? While it's an exaggeration that all the individuals in the line will react in the same negative way, you've likely been in a similar situation when one person has had such a reaction and created a "scene." No one has the right to inflict their anger on another. They just further aggravate everyone around them and make matters worse. The bottom line is that we have to be willing to stay calm in frustrating situations. This doesn't mean we have to be passive, but it does mean that we have to keep ourselves in check and not let our negative emotions get the better of us and run amuck. While patience can require discipline, the ability to remain calm when we really want to "blow our top" is a very valuable, and mature, social skill. Even though we're frustrated, we can still be proactive and work towards a solution. We can offer constructive feedback to alleviate a negative situation, we can do what we're able to make circumstances less stressful or we can discuss the situation with respect and consideration to create a better outcome. If there's nothing we can respectfully do to relieve the situation, we can realize and acknowledge that what is going on is temporary and accept it as it is. We can also calmly and politely leave the situation by making our way to the door. Having the ability to remain composed and respectful in frustrating situations takes some effort and practice. There are many, many social skills and having patience is a sign of a highly skilled individual. Laurie Wilhelm manages the Express Yourself to Success website. Achieve success faster and easier using good communication and interpersonal skills. Get your free eBook, What You Need to Succeed: Social Skills, now by going to http://www.expressyourselftosuccess.com. ------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
