The Virtue of Patience through Vehicle Ownership
Vehicle ownership is a privilege that most people take for granted, even if it means putting everyone else at risk. However, some car owners can be taught the virtue of patience simply by owning one. From better financial discipline to keeping calm and carrying on, here’s how.
Staying Calm through a Breakdown
There are various technologies that keep us moving in the modern world, and we rely on them every day without a second thought most of the time. Batteries are a perfect example from the smartphone that runs your life to the car battery in your ICE vehicle, or the lithium-ion array in your EV. Your life can come to a halt when your car breaks down. However, it can be a test of patience and a learning experience in what can happen, what to expect and how to deal with it.
Improved Financial Discipline
Modern cars are not cheap, and there are many considerations before even ordering one. For example, you will have to consider how the car you want to buy will impact your monthly finances. Insurance, fuel and taxes come with owning a car, and they can be pretty big depending on the make, model and even engine power of the vehicle. And that’s before your monthly loan repayments! Working this out can teach you how to be better with your money.
Vehicle Ownership Teaches Adaptation
A study in the UK found that 92% of drivers have picked up and used bad habits that can be dangerous on the road. The other 8% will have to deal with these by adapting to conditions, bad drivers and even technological change in cars. Patient drivers are believed to be more likely to adapt to changes in technology, such as electric vehicles, as even adjusting to using something like an EV after years or even decades of driving an ICE vehicle can begin as an inconvenience.
Not Succumbing to Road Rage
Road rage is a very common problem in most countries. Angry driving causes a lot of disruption, including crashes, near misses and even deadly assaults. However, there’s nothing you can really do about bad driving, and being on the road can be a lesson in how not to act. Of course, it is easy to get angry when someone nearly causes the death of your family, but when you stay calm, it can result in you becoming more patient and a better driver through observation.
Defensive Driving and Anticipation
There are tons of bad drivers out there, and the roads can be pretty dangerous because of this. Partially sighted people, drivers with bad habits and drivers who are just plain intoxicated can be extremely dangerous. Because of this, you will learn to be vigilant when you stay patient. Over time, you will also be able to drive defensively with safe distancing, anticipating traffic flow and avoiding common issues like tailgating, all of which help you get to your destination safely.
Summary
Staying calm and keeping a cool head when you have broken down is one way you can learn to be patient through vehicle ownership. You will also learn to adapt to changing conditions as you get more experience, and this also results in improved defensive driving and road anticipation.
