positive things

Being "understanding" and "patient" doesn't mean turning over on your back and showing your jugular. What about Ghandi? He turned patience and understanding into massive peaceful demonstration. He understood what needed to be done and was patient enough to make it happen through persistence. Attempting to find resolution wasn't entered into blindly, either. MLK was a pretty sharp guy - and knew what had to happen to get us civil rights. Your logic in this case infers that "patience" and "understanding" gets us nowhere (Jim Crow). I disagree. I think Jim Crow was a lack of patience and understanding - on both sides of the issue(s). I've always found that keeping a level head in an argument to really try to understand the other person's viewpoint is much better than being irrational and reacting in a way I may regret. Sometimes, as hard as it may be, I may have to listen to a lot of crap before I can find the root of the issue. If not for patience and understanding, many arguments can be "lost" because nobody takes the time to pay attention to what's going on and find the right solution.