The Connection Bernards-Ridge Edition January February 2015

Summer Programs 2015 Summer Programs 2015 www.theconnectionsnj.com PAGE 28 THE PALMER SCHOOL of the United Methodist Church of Bernardsville Infant and Toddler Care • Pre-School Kindergarten • Nursery School A “Security Blanket” For Parents 22 Church Street, Bernardsville, New Jersey 07924 • 908-766-3353 Director: Peggy Katzenberger Smart Phone users scan here to “Like” us on Facebook! Visit www.Facebook.com/theConnectionsnj Visit our Connection On-Line ad to view our video The CONNECTIONS PATIENCE: RECONDITIONING THE FAST TWITCH BRAIN By: Dr. Michael Osit What is happening to the human virtue called “patience?” I was attending my family’s holiday party and my nephew was showing me the watch he received as a gift. It synchs with his mobile phone so that all he has to do is speak into the watch, give it a command, and he can make a call, surf the web, or send a text. He no longer needs to take the time and effort to take his cell phone out of his pocket, access it, access the function he wants to use, and then type in a com- mand. This new technology may seem innocuous but it is a microcosm as to what is consistently happening in our world. The push for and marketing of convenience apps and devices to make our lives function with less and less time and effort is exploding. Why is this note- worthy? Consider the evolutionary and cultural impact that the following exam- ples have on daily life changes occurring over the past 40 years: • From waiting 3-5 days for a letter to arrive to instantaneous email, text, or fax. • Going to a restaurant, sitting and ordering, instead of a drive thru for “fast food.” • Calling a friend had to wait until you got home instead of calling from a mobile phone. • Waiting for your TV show to come on during its air time instead of watching it whenever you want to “on demand” or on the Internet. • Food was cooked at 450° for 45 min- utes instead of “zapped” in the microwave in 2 minutes. • Information was obtained when you went to the library or opened up your Encyclopedia, instead of obtained instantly at your fingertip from the Internet accessed from your mobile phone, tablet, or computer • Local, national, and world news was learned when the newspaper was delivered, or at least until the TV News came on at 6:00 or 11:00. Today, we obtain it a split second after it happens via the Internet and Social Media. • Shopping for merchandise was limit- ed to actually visiting the store during operating store hours, instead of making purchases anytime, from any- where using the Internet. We know that our brains, over time, become rewired as we continually adapt to our ever changing environment. With this in mind, take a moment (with patience) to think about the impact of the thousands, even millions, of actions you perform day after day, week after week, year after year, that are now com- pleted instantly instead of taking time and effort as it did in the past. We live in a push button, instant gratification, get what I want, when I want it, “have a thought or a need and get it immediate” world. What is this doing to our ability to be patient? What is this doing to our need to put forth effort to complete even minor tasks, let alone larger ones? Are we becoming a race that expects to get our needs met instantly or forget it? Napolean Hill said, “Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.” Does this for- mula for success still apply? Or, are we becoming conditioned to have an impulse or need and expect an immedi- ate resolution with a rapid-fire push of a button or verbal command of some new fangled, time saving device that requires less and less physical exertion to engage? I believe that we will continue to experi- ence the expectation of immediacy when it relates to sourcing information and even problem solving. But I don’t neces- sarily see that as a negative conse- quence. My fear is that patience, with oneself and with others, will be a lost art within our interpersonal relationships. If we can find the nearest frozen yogurt restaurant in 2 seconds simply by lifting our wrist to our mouth and asking our Google Wristwatch, then we will also be expecting rapid responses from the peo- ple in our lives. We not only have to maintain our patience while we wait, but we also need to remember how to behave while we are waiting. Dr. Osit is a psychologist and author of “Generation Text: Raising Well Adjusted Kids In An Age Of Instant Everything.” He has offices in Warren and Morris- town. For questions and comments: Dr.Michael.Osit@gmail.com.