Personal mastery is the discipline of continually clarifying and deepening our personal vision, of focusing our energies, of developing patience, and of seeing reality objectively.
—Peter Senge (b.1947) American Management Consultant, Author, Scientist
To lose patience is to lose the battle.
—Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869–1948) Indian Hindu Political leader
What can we gain by sailing to the moon if we are not able to cross the abyss that separates us from ourselves? This is the most important of all voyages of discovery, and without it, all the rest are not only useless, but disastrous…
—Thomas Merton (1915–68) American Trappist Monk
The principal part of faith is patience.
—George MacDonald (1824–1905) Scottish Novelist, Lecturer, Poet
If you should put even a little on a little and should do this often, soon this would become big.
—Hesiod (f.700 BCE) Greek Poet
Genius is eternal patience.
—Michelangelo (1475–1564) Italian Painter, Sculptor, Architect, Poet, Engineer
Perhaps there is only one cardinal sin: impatience.
Because of impatience we are driven out of Paradise;
because of impatience we cannot return.
—Franz Kafka (1883–1924) Austrian Novelist, Short Story Writer
There is no royal road to anything. One thing at a time, all things in succession. That which grows fast, withers as rapidly. That which grows slowly, endures.
—Josiah Gilbert Holland (1819–81) American Editor, Novelist
Beware the fury of a patient man.
—John Dryden (1631–1700) English Poet, Literary Critic, Playwright
Patience is the mother of will
—Georges Gurdjieff (1877–1949) Armenian Spiritual Leader, Occultist
Forgive, forget. Bear with the faults of others as you would have them bear with yours. Be patient and understanding. Life is too short to be vengeful or malicious.
—Phillips Brooks (1835–93) American Episcopal Clergyman, Author
Patience is a necessary ingredient of genius.
—Benjamin Disraeli (1804–81) British Head of State
Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.
—John Quincy Adams (1767–1848) Sixth President of the USA
I have no patience for those who say that poverty is a blessing. Poverty is the greatest curse on earth.
—Roger McDonald (b.1941) Australian Novelist, Poet, Screenwriter, Writer
Beware of undertaking too much at the start. Be content with quite a little. Allow for accidents. Allow for human nature, especially your own.
—Arnold Bennett (1867–1931) British Novelist, Playwright, Critic
Many a man thinks he is patient when, in reality, he is indifferent.
—B. C. Forbes (1880–1954) Scottish-born American Journalist, Publisher
No greater thing is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig. If you tell me that you desire a fig, I answer you that there must be time. Let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen.
—Epictetus (55–135) Ancient Greek Philosopher
Patience is the art of caring slowly.
—John Ciardi (1916–86) American Poet, Teacher, Etymologist, Translator
To him that waits all things reveal themselves, provided that he has the courage not to deny, in the darkness, what he has seen in the light.
—Coventry Patmore (1823–96) English Poet, Critic
Patience is even more rarely manifested in the intellect than it is in the temper.
—Arthur Helps (1813–75) English Dramatist, Essayist
Our patience will achieve more than our force.
—Edmund Burke (1729–97) British Philosopher, Statesman
Trust to God to weave your thread into the great web, though the pattern shows it not yet.
—George MacDonald (1824–1905) Scottish Novelist, Lecturer, Poet
With close-lipped Patience for our only friend, Sad Patience, too near neighbor to Despair.
—Matthew Arnold (1822–88) English Poet, Critic
Let us then be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate,
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–82) American Poet, Educator, Academic
Time deals gently only with those who take it gently.
—Anatole France (1844–1924) French Novelist
We could never learn to be brave and patient, if there were only joy in the world.
—Helen Keller (1880–1968) American Author
He who wishes to be rich in a day will be hanged in a year.
—Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) Italian Polymath, Painter, Sculptor, Inventor, Architect
A patient, humble temper gathers blessings that are marred by the peevish and overlooked by the aspiring.
—Edwin Hubbell Chapin (1814–80) American Preacher, Poet
Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits.
—Thomas Edison (1847–1931) American Inventor, Scientist, Entrepreneur
Begin — to begin is half the work, let half still remain; again begin this and thou wilt have finished.
—Ausonius (c.309–392 CE) Latin Poet, Rhetorician
All men command patience, although few be willing to practice it.
—Thomas a Kempis (1379–1471) German Religious Priest, Writer
All things come round to him who will but wait.
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–82) American Poet, Educator, Academic
Come what may, time and the hour runs through the roughest day.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Wise to resolve, patient to perform.
—Friedrich Schiller (1759–1805) German Poet, Dramatist
Good character is not formed in a week or a month. It is created little by little, day by day. Protracted and patient effort is needed to develop good character.
—Sivananda Saraswati (1887–1963) Indian Hindu Spiritual Teacher
Endurance is the crowning quality, and patience all the passion of great hearts.
—James Russell Lowell (1819–91) American Poet, Critic
I do not have much patience with a thing of beauty that must be explained to be understood. If it does need additional interpretation by someone other than the creator, then I question whether it has fulfilled its purpose.
—Charlie Chaplin (1889–1977) British Actor
Work and wait — “work and wait” is what God says to us in creation.
—Josiah Gilbert Holland (1819–81) American Editor, Novelist
Patience has its limits, take it too far and it’s cowardice.
—Holbrook Jackson (1874–1948) British Journalist, Writer, Publisher
All human errors are impatience, a premature breaking off of methodical procedure, an apparent fencing-in of what is apparently at issue.
—Franz Kafka (1883–1924) Austrian Novelist, Short Story Writer
The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.
—Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910) Russian Novelist
Patience and time do more than strength or passion.
—Jean de La Fontaine (1621–95) French Poet, Short Story Writer
That’s the advantage of having lived 65 years. You don’t feel the need to be impatient any longer.
—Thornton Wilder (1897–1975) American Novelist, Playwright
Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.
—Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–78) Swiss-born French Philosopher
Patience, the beggar’s virtue, shall find no harbor here.
—Philip Massinger (1583–1640) English Playwright
Time is the friend of the wonderful business, the enemy of the mediocre.
—Warren Buffett (b.1930) American Investor
Patience in the present, faith in the future, and joy in the doing.
—Unknown
Patience is power. Patience is not an absence of action; rather it is “timing;”; it waits on the right time to act, for the right principles and in the right way.
—Fulton J. Sheen (1895–1979) American Catholic Religious Leader, Theologian
Rome was not built in a day.
—Common Proverb
You must first have a lot of patience to learn to have patience.
—Stanislaw Jerzy Lec (1909–1966) Polish Aphorist, Poet
Time bears away all things, even the mind.
—Virgil (70–19 BCE) Roman Poet
A mule will labor ten years willingly and patiently for you, for the privilege of kicking you once.
—William Faulkner (1897–1962) American Novelist
A curtain lecture is worth all the sermons in the world for teaching the virtue of patience and long suffering.
—Washington Irving (1783–1859) American Essayist, Biographer, Historian
Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections, but instantly set about remedying them—every day begin the task anew.
—Francis de Sales (1567–1622) French Catholic Saint
Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still.
—Chinese Proverb
A handful of patience is worth more than a bushel of brains.
—Dutch Proverb
Patience: A minor form of despair disguised as a virtue.
—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1913) American Short-story Writer, Journalist
Slow and steady wins the race.
—Aesop (620–564 BCE) Greek Fabulist
You are goodness and mercy and compassion and understanding. You are peace and joy and light. You are forgiveness and patience, strength and courage, a helper in time of need, a comforter in time of sorrow, a healer in time of injury, a teacher in times of confusion. You are the deepest wisdom and the highest truth; the greatest peace and the grandest love. You are these things. And in moments of your life you have known yourself to be these things. Choose now to know yourself as these things always.
—Neale Donald Walsch (b.1943) American Spiritual Writer
Let me look upward into the branches of the flowering oak and know that it grew great and strong because it grew slowly and well.
—Wilferd Arlan Peterson (1900–95) American Author
The general order of things that takes care of fleas and moles also takes care of men, if they will have the same patience that fleas and moles have, to leave it to itself.
—Michel de Montaigne (1533–92) French Essayist
I waited and waited, and when no message came, I knew it must be from you.
—Ashleigh Brilliant (b.1933) British Cartoonist, Author
The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. To dig for treasures shows not only impatience and greed, but lack of faith. Patience, patience, patience, is what the sea teaches. Patience and faith. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach – waiting for a gift from the sea.
—Anne Morrow Lindbergh (1906–2001) American Aviator, Author
Only those who have the patience to do simple things perfectly will acquire the skill to do difficult things easily.
—Friedrich Schiller (1759–1805) German Poet, Dramatist
There is no great achievement that is not the result of patient working and waiting.
—Josiah Gilbert Holland (1819–81) American Editor, Novelist
Time cools, time clarifies; no mood can be maintained quite unaltered through the course of hours.
—Thomas Mann (1875–1955) German Novelist, Short Story Writer, Social Critic, Philanthropist, Essayist
Wisely and slow; — they stumble that run fast.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Patience is also a form of action.
—Dick Sutphen
All human wisdom is summed up in two words — wait and hope.
—Alexandre Dumas, pere (1802–1870) French Novelist, Playwright
Almost all good businesses engage in ‘pain today, gain tomorrow’ activities.
—Charlie Munger (b.1924) American Investor, Philanthropist
He surely is most in need of another’s patience, who has none of his own.
—Johann Kaspar Lavater (1741–1801) Swiss Theologian, Poet
In any contest between power and patience, bet on patience.
—W. B. Prescott
Our real blessings often appear to us in the shape of pains, losses, and disappointments; but let us have patience, and we soon shall see them in their proper figures.
—Joseph Addison (1672–1719) English Essayist, Poet, Playwright, Politician
To endure is greater than to dare; to tire out hostile fortune; to be daunted by no difficulty; to keep heart when all have lost it; to go through intrigue spotless; to forego even ambition when the end is gained — who can say this is not greatness?
—William Makepeace Thackeray (1811–63) English Novelist
It’s easy finding reasons why other folks should be patient.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819–80) English Novelist
Who longest waits most surely wins.
—Helen Hunt Jackson (1830–85) American Novelist, Civil Rights Activist
Let this be understood, then, at starting; that the patient conquest of difficulties which rise in the regular and legitimate channels of business and enterprise is not only essential in securing the success which you seek but it is essential to that preparation of your mind, requisite for the enjoyment of your successes, and for retaining them when gained. So, day by day, and week by week; so month after month, and year after year, work on, and in that progress gain in strength and symmetry, and nerve and knowledge, that when success, patiently and bravely worked for, shall come, it may find you prepared to receive it and keep it.
—Josiah Gilbert Holland (1819–81) American Editor, Novelist
Face your deficiencies and acknowledge them; but do not let them master you. Let them teach you patience, sweetness, insight… When we do the best we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another.
—Helen Keller (1880–1968) American Author