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Patience is important for anyone who is interested in self-improvement and self-actualization. Not only will one encounter setbacks, but the progress will almost certainly be slow going, measured in months and years rather than days and weeks. Patience is the thing that will help you to keep your head down, knowing that the slow progress will pay off over time.
Having patience with our own progress is a form of inner strength that allows us to achieve our goals. When things seem to be moving slowly, we must keep at them because they are moving.
But patience is not simply about being patient with ourselves and our progress. It is also about being patient with others. Influencing others often requires great patience on our part, explaining the same things again and again until the ideas germinate and begin making sense.
Wisdom, solid planning and inner strength… all of these are nothing without the patience to ensure their exercise and implementation.
There are very few successful people who are not also patient people. Even those who are not patient by nature must learn how to cultivate this quality in themselves if they wish to succeed.
The quotes below underscore the importance and the power of patience.
Quotes About Patience With Yourself
Bruce Lee
“Patience is not passive, on the contrary, it is concentrated strength.”
In Bruce Lee’s profound insight, he emphasizes that patience is not a mere act of waiting idly, but rather a display of inner fortitude and resilience. True patience is an active force, requiring focused energy and determination. It’s the ability to remain steadfast and composed in the face of challenges, setbacks, and uncertainties. Like a coiled spring, patience harnesses concentrated strength, enabling one to endure hardships with grace and maintain a clear vision of their goals. Through patience, one cultivates resilience, discipline, and the power to persevere, emerging stronger and wiser from life’s trials and tribulations.
William Faulkner
“And sure enough, even waiting will end…if you can just wait long enough.”
In this poignant observation by William Faulkner, the essence of patience is eloquently captured. Faulkner suggests that no matter how interminable a period of waiting may seem, it is finite. Time, relentless in its passage, eventually brings resolution. The quote conveys a sense of hope and endurance, urging individuals to persevere through the challenges of waiting. It speaks to the transient nature of all things, reminding us that even the most trying circumstances will eventually come to an end. By exercising patience and enduring with fortitude, one can navigate through uncertainty and emerge stronger on the other side.
Mae West
“Anything worth doing is worth doing slowly.”
Mae West’s adage encapsulates a timeless wisdom, advocating for a deliberate and mindful approach to endeavors. By emphasizing the value of slowness, she underscores the importance of patience, precision, and dedication in every pursuit. In a fast-paced world, this quote serves as a gentle reminder to eschew haste and embrace a more measured pace, allowing for thoroughness and attention to detail. It suggests that rushing through tasks may compromise their quality or significance. Thus, whether it’s pursuing a passion, nurturing relationships, or achieving goals, investing time and effort gradually yields more meaningful and rewarding results in the long run.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Patience and fortitude conquer all things.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson’s timeless wisdom encapsulated in this quote speaks to the enduring power of patience and fortitude. It asserts that these virtues possess the capacity to overcome any obstacle or challenge that life presents. Patience, the ability to endure adversity with calm resolve, complements fortitude, the strength of character to persist in the face of difficulty. Together, they form an indomitable force, capable of surmounting even the most formidable of trials. Emerson’s insight reminds us that in the journey of life, success often hinges not only on talent or circumstance, but on the steadfastness of one’s spirit.
Lee Tolstoy
“Everything comes in time to him who knows how to wait…there is nothing stronger than these two: patience and time, they will do it all.”
In Leo Tolstoy’s profound reflection from “War and Peace,” the essence of patience and time as formidable forces is vividly portrayed. Tolstoy suggests that those who possess the wisdom to wait with patience will ultimately reap the rewards. Time, relentless and impartial, holds the power to shape destinies and unfold possibilities. When coupled with patience, it becomes an unstoppable force, capable of achieving any goal or overcoming any obstacle. This quote serves as a poignant reminder of the timeless truth that endurance and perseverance, guided by patience and tempered by time, can lead to the fulfillment of even the loftiest aspirations.
James P. Carse
“Gardening is not outcome-oriented. A successful harvest is not the end of a gardener’s existence, but only a phase of it. As any gardener knows, the vitality of a garden does not end with a harvest. It simply takes another form. Gardens do not ‘die’ in the winter but quietly prepare for another season.”
– James P. Carse, Finite and Infinite Games
James P. Carse’s analogy of gardening beautifully illustrates life’s cyclical nature and the profound wisdom it holds. By likening gardening to existence itself, he emphasizes that success isn’t merely defined by outcomes, but rather by the continuous process of growth and renewal. Just as a gardener’s work doesn’t cease after a harvest, life doesn’t halt after achieving goals; it evolves into new phases. Even in dormancy, there’s preparation for the future. Similarly, challenges or ‘winters’ don’t signify an end but a transition, fostering resilience and anticipation for the next season. This perspective invites us to embrace life’s ever-changing rhythm with patience and optimism.
Moliere
“Trees that are slow to grow bear the best fruit.”
Moliere’s timeless observation on patience and excellence resonates deeply with the natural world. In likening the growth of trees to human endeavors, he highlights the virtue of patience in achieving quality outcomes. Just as trees that mature slowly produce the most delectable fruit, so too do endeavors that unfold gradually often yield the most rewarding results. This quote reminds us that greatness is not rushed; it emerges through steady, deliberate progress and the nurturing of skills and talents over time. It speaks to the importance of perseverance and trust in the process, knowing that true success is worth the wait.
Francis de Sales
“Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit.
Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.
What is anything in life compared to peace of soul?”
Francis de Sales imparts timeless wisdom, urging a serene approach to life’s tumultuous moments. His counsel underscores the value of tranquility amidst chaos, advocating for deliberate, unhurried actions conducted with a calm spirit. By prioritizing inner peace over external disturbances, he suggests that maintaining emotional equilibrium is paramount. The quote prompts reflection on the relative importance of worldly concerns compared to the profound solace found within. De Sales’ words serve as a gentle reminder that amidst life’s challenges, the preservation of one’s inner peace is invaluable, offering a steadfast anchor amid turbulent seas and a sanctuary amidst the noise of existence.
Elizabeth Taylor
“It is very strange that the years teach us patience—that the shorter our time, the greater our capacity for waiting.”
Elizabeth Taylor’s observation on patience and time offers a poignant insight into the paradox of aging. Despite the brevity of life, she suggests that with each passing year, our capacity for patience expands. This paradox underscores the transformative power of experience, where the passage of time bestows upon us the wisdom to endure and the resilience to wait. As the years accumulate, so too does our understanding that impatience often leads to unnecessary stress and discontent. Taylor’s words remind us that embracing patience is not merely a virtue cultivated with age but a profound realization that life’s most meaningful moments are worth the wait.
Edmund Burke
“Our patience will achieve more than our force.”
Edmund Burke’s insight into the potency of patience over force speaks volumes about the efficacy of restraint and perseverance. In a world often driven by immediacy and aggression, Burke suggests that exercising patience can yield greater results than attempting to forcefully impose one’s will. Patience, characterized by composure and strategic waiting, possesses the power to navigate complexities with subtlety and precision. It fosters understanding, collaboration, and long-term solutions rather than immediate, short-lived victories. Burke’s words resonate as a reminder that sometimes, the most formidable strength lies not in overt displays of force, but in the quiet resilience of patient endurance.
Franz Kafka
“All human errors are impatience, a premature breaking off of methodical procedure, an apparent fencing-in of what is apparently at issue.”
Franz Kafka’s profound insight delves into the root of human fallibility, identifying impatience as a fundamental cause of error. He suggests that our inclination to rush, to prematurely abandon methodical processes, stems from a desire to quickly resolve what appears to be the core issue at hand. However, this hasty approach often leads to incomplete understanding and flawed outcomes. Kafka’s observation highlights the importance of patience in methodical inquiry and problem-solving. By resisting the urge to prematurely conclude, we can more effectively navigate complexities and arrive at comprehensive solutions. It’s a reminder to embrace patience as a virtue in our pursuit of understanding and resolution.
Quotes About Patience With Others
Saint Augustine
“Patience is the companion of wisdom.”
Saint Augustine’s succinct observation encapsulates the profound relationship between patience and wisdom. Patience, characterized by the ability to endure trials with calm perseverance, is depicted as a close ally to wisdom. In the journey towards understanding and enlightenment, patience serves as a guiding companion, tempering hasty judgments and impulsive actions. It allows space for reflection, discernment, and the acquisition of deeper insights. Augustine suggests that wisdom isn’t merely attained through knowledge alone but is nurtured through the patient cultivation of experience and understanding. This quote serves as a timeless reminder of the symbiotic relationship between patience and the pursuit of wisdom.
Friedrich Nietzsche
“In the end we are always rewarded for our good will, our patience, fair-mindedness, and gentleness with what is strange.”
– Friedrich Nietzsche, The Gay Science
Friedrich Nietzsche’s insight from “The Gay Science” illuminates the transformative power of virtuous qualities in our interactions with the unfamiliar. He suggests that exhibiting goodwill, patience, fairness, and gentleness towards the unfamiliar eventually yields rewards. These virtues foster openness and receptivity, enabling us to embrace the unfamiliar with grace and understanding. Nietzsche implies that by approaching the unknown with such virtues, we cultivate an enriched perspective and deeper connections with the world around us. Ultimately, this quote reminds us that our benevolent and patient attitudes towards the unfamiliar often lead to unexpected and fulfilling outcomes, enriching our lives in meaningful ways.
Charlotte Brontë
“It is far better to endure patiently a smart which nobody feels but yourself, than to commit a hasty action whose evil consequences will extend to all connected with you.”
In Charlotte Brontë’s timeless wisdom from “Jane Eyre,” the value of patient endurance in the face of personal suffering is eloquently conveyed. Brontë emphasizes that enduring silently through individual pain is preferable to hastily acting out in a manner that inflicts harm upon oneself and others. This quote underscores the importance of considering the broader repercussions of our actions. By choosing patience over impulsivity, one not only preserves their own integrity but also avoids causing harm to those interconnected with them. Brontë’s insight serves as a poignant reminder of the power and responsibility inherent in exercising patience and restraint.
Benjamin Franklin
“He that can have patience can have what he will.”
Benjamin Franklin’s succinct wisdom encapsulates the profound power of patience in achieving one’s desires. By asserting that those who possess patience can attain anything they desire, Franklin highlights the transformative potential of this virtue. Patience, characterized by endurance and perseverance, enables individuals to navigate obstacles with resilience and determination. It fosters a mindset of steadfastness and resilience in the face of adversity, ultimately leading to success. Franklin’s quote serves as a timeless reminder that while goals may seem distant or daunting, those who possess the patience to persist will ultimately prevail and achieve their aspirations.
Aristotle
“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.”
Aristotle’s timeless aphorism delves into the paradoxical nature of patience, likening it to a bitter yet ultimately rewarding endeavor. Patience, often accompanied by trials and tribulations, requires enduring hardships and delays with fortitude. The bitter taste of waiting and enduring difficulties may be challenging to swallow in the moment. However, as time unfolds, the fruits of patience reveal themselves, bearing the sweetness of accomplishment and fulfillment. Aristotle’s quote serves as a poignant reminder that while the journey may be arduous, the rewards of patience are profoundly satisfying, enriching life with the sweetness of achievement and inner growth.
Margaret Thatcher
“I am extraordinarily patient, provided I get my own way in the end.”
Margaret Thatcher’s candid assertion unveils the nuanced nature of patience, revealing a willingness to endure as long as one’s desired outcome is achieved. While on the surface, this statement may seem paradoxical—patience typically implies enduring despite obstacles or delays—Thatcher’s perspective sheds light on a different facet. She implies that her patience hinges on the expectation of eventual success. It reflects a determination to persist until achieving one’s goals, even if it requires enduring setbacks. Thatcher’s quote offers insight into a pragmatic approach to patience, where endurance is sustained by the promise of eventual victory, aligning with her assertive and determined leadership style.
Lao Tzu
“Trying to understand is like straining through muddy water. Have the patience to wait! Be still and allow the mud to settle.”
In this profound analogy by Lao Tzu, the act of understanding is likened to navigating murky waters. He advises patience and stillness, urging individuals to refrain from hasty judgments and instead allow clarity to emerge naturally. Just as stirring muddy water only increases its turbidity, attempting to force understanding can cloud our perception. Lao Tzu advocates for patience, trusting that with time and stillness, the confusion will settle, revealing clear insights. This quote underscores the importance of calmness and patience in the pursuit of comprehension, reminding us to embrace tranquility and allow wisdom to emerge from the depths of contemplation.
Marcus Aurelius
“All men are made one for another: either then teach them better or bear with them.”
– Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
Marcus Aurelius, in his timeless wisdom from “Meditations,” reflects on the interconnectedness of humanity and the choices it presents. He suggests that every individual is bound together, implying a shared responsibility for one another’s well-being. Aurelius offers two paths: either to educate and uplift others, guiding them towards improvement, or to exercise patience and tolerance in accepting their shortcomings. This quote encapsulates the essence of empathy and understanding, advocating for constructive engagement or compassionate acceptance in our interactions with others. Aurelius reminds us of our capacity to influence and support each other, urging a balance between teaching and tolerance in fostering harmony and growth.
Chinese proverb
“One moment of patience may ward off great disaster. One moment of impatience may ruin a whole life.”
This Chinese proverb encapsulates the profound impact of patience and impatience on the course of one’s life. It underscores the significance of a single moment in shaping destinies. A moment of patience, exercised wisely, has the potential to avert significant calamities and steer one towards a brighter future. Conversely, a moment of impatience, driven by rash decisions or short-sightedness, can lead to irreversible consequences, altering the trajectory of an entire lifetime. This proverb serves as a poignant reminder of the power inherent in our actions, emphasizing the importance of cultivating patience as a guiding virtue in navigating life’s challenges and opportunities.