One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.
—Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968)
✏️ The War on Patience
We live in the age of immediacy. We want our food to come to our door, within the hour. We want our checking accounts to exponentially grow without any proportionate effort. Surrounded by envy and what could have been, we are being conditioned to demand what we want, when we want it.
I have a problem with patience. Whether it be in my professional or personal life, I often dread having to wait for an email to go ahead on a project, or having to sit in the limbo of uncertainty whilst you give another the space to make their decision. Waiting is excruciating, especially for someone like myself, who takes pride in efficiency and believes that much of one’s outcomes in life can be controlled (or at least modified). In my war on patience, I have found myself fighting a losing battle, with the only victory available to me Pyrrhic in nature. There is no choice but to wave the white flag, accept that I am not the master of the world, and simply let the seconds pass without anticipation or anxiety.
As one matures, you begin to realize that it is not necessary, nor preferable, to want things when you want them. One’s vision is distance limited, and we regularly do not see the blessings around the corner when we experience a setback or event contrary to our desire. Some of my biggest successes and happiest moments (in hindsight) have come after being refused exactly what I thought I wanted. There are some religious undertones to this way of thinking — the idea that God has a plan for you, that He will not grant you something you are not ready to accept unless He has a greater purpose for it, etc. I find it easier to surrender myself to life because I have religious faith, but I don’t think faith in a higher power is necessary. Even those who hesitate to utter the word of God believe in the universe or some other power dictating the grand strategy of the world.
One must find his way to surrender, whichever path he wishes to take. Or whatever path is made available to him.
Respice finem.
💡 Food for Thought
If you’ve read all the books on your bookshelf, it’s not big enough!
🧬 Paper of the Week — Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology by Braun & Clarke
Citation: Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative research in psychology, 3(2), 77-101.
Thematic analysis is a poorly demarcated, rarely acknowledged, yet widely used qualitative analytic method within psychology. In this paper, we argue that it offers an accessible and theoretically flexible approach to analyzing qualitative data. We outline what thematic analysis is, locating it in relation to other qualitative analytic methods that search for themes or patterns, and in relation to different epistemological and ontological positions. We then provide clear guidelines to those wanting to start a thematic analysis, or conduct it in a more deliberate and rigorous way, and consider potential pitfalls in conducting thematic analysis. Finally, we outline the disadvantages and advantages of thematic analysis. We conclude by advocating thematic analysis as a useful and flexible method for qualitative research in and beyond psychology.
Therefore I say to you, men of Athens, either do as Anytus tells you, or not, and either acquit me, or not, knowing that I shall not change my conduct even if I am to die many times over.
—Socrates in Plato’s ‘Apology’
Best,
AT