Diligence

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Depiction of "diligence" in a glass window in Munich City Hall.

The word diligence comes from the Germanic word battle zeal (or dispute ) and means hard- working determination . Diligence is a so-called civic virtue . In common parlance, idleness and indolence are the opposite of this .

The top school grade includes diligence, willingness to learn, determination, perseverance and regularity in completing tasks.

For several decades, the word (not necessarily the property) - in the context of a general rejection of “bourgeois” secondary virtues - has also had a negative connotation. Although diligence is undoubtedly valued as a quality both privately and at work, it is sometimes played off against other gifts that are sometimes contrary (such as intelligence or spontaneity ). On the other hand, similar words (but also the most important components of diligence such as “hard-working” or “determined”) are less affected by this change in linguistic usage .

Often this slightly pejorative view of hard work is associated with “goodwill”, in school or in groups also with “conformism”. Nevertheless, this kind of working or learning persistence is also necessary in science , where diligence cannot be “replaced” by intelligence. Diligence here means not only to work your way through some academic dry spells, but also to promote your own understanding through determined learning. For this purpose z. B. also include some repetitive activities - such as memorizing phrases, poems or formulas . Memorizing important basic knowledge cannot always be replaced by a pure desire to understand, which in our time is usually more important than diligence.

See also

Web links

Wiktionary: Diligence  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

  1. ^ For example, in Saxony, Section 23, Paragraph 7, No. 2 of the school regulations for secondary and evening schools