Many priests, religious men, and religious women feel intense longing on a human level for realities that transcend the natural. Requested laicization or dispensation from vows have sometimes been the response. Some individuals suffer from the effects of trauma and psychological wounds either before entry or within a community, which potentially leads to confusion about their identity and vocation when left unresolved. Using a synthetic approach, longanimity is analyzed as a virtue recognized by Aquinas and Augustine, which properly orders the faculties of the soul toward a higher, spiritual good that is worth waiting and sacrificing for. Honing this virtue leads to a greater commitment and conviction of one’s vocation. Evidence-based scientific research and modern psychology recognize such qualities of resilience as “grit” or “hardiness.” Studies show that having grit or a hardy personality leads to statistical success, and also show an underlying common factor of a longanimous disposition to perform well. When the empirically based data is viewed in light of Aristotelian philosophy and positive psychology, a new partial tautology is presented: Cultivating longanimity as a virtue is necessary for an increase of resilience and grit. Similarly, the virtue of longanimity allows priests and consecrated persons to bear extreme sufferings and wrongs patiently, in awaiting a greater good. It is also a primary factor in trauma survival.