APAD: Patience is a virtue.

Meaning:

To be able to wait for something without becoming frustrated is a valuable

character trait.

 

Background:

It is similar to the Latin expression, maxima enim, patientia virtus (patience

is the greatest virtue).

 

... Around the same time or shortly after Piers Plowman, Chaucer wrote in The

Canterbury Tales that "Patience is a high virtue... but virtue can hurt you."

(The Franklin's Tale)

 

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I have observed patience and time, the greatest warriors, at work in some

sports, e.g., distance running, weight-lifting, and jiu-jitsu. Those who don't

try to outsmart time and simply put in the work day in and day out make progress

before they know it. Those who set off in a hurry and couldn't wait to get ahead

end up learning the truth or quitting in injury.

 

"Virtue can hurt you" sounds also true, especially when timing is a decisive

factor in the outcome. While waiting, one needs to keep alert, bright-eyed and

bushy-tailed.