The Importance of Patience in Achieving Great Things
Human nature is impulsive. When we encounter matters of concern or self-interest, we often let emotions override reason and act impulsively.
After the impulse fades, we gradually realize the negative consequences of our actions.
The fundamental desire of humans is to achieve value, whether subjective or objective, and it requires continuous exploration during the process.
In the pursuit of self-value, setbacks and difficulties may arise. However, by maintaining a calm mind and objective analysis, we can still move forward step by step towards our goals.
As the English writer Samuel Johnson said, “The greatest part of a writer’s time is spent in reading, in order to write; a man will turn over half a library to make one book.” To achieve great things in life, we must learn to control our impulses and be patient.
Haste makes waste, and it can lead to self-harm.
In reality, there are often people who are naturally impatient, especially when it comes to matters they care about. They act before they think, and this impulsiveness often leads to self-harm.
There is a saying, “To kill a thousand enemies is to harm oneself.” Most people have experienced this. My classmate, Sarah, is a good example.
Recently, there was a dispute in our class. Many students were dissatisfied with the heavy workload assigned by the teacher and started to rebel in the class group chat. Sarah, as a class monitor, wanted to calm everyone down, but ended up making a mistake.
In an attempt to pacify her classmates, Sarah directly spoke in favor of the teacher in the group chat and confronted her classmates. We understand her good intentions, but in the midst of everyone’s indignation, her different opinion inevitably caused a commotion.
As a result, Sarah faced extreme dissatisfaction from some of her classmates. Although the situation shifted, it had a significant impact on her. Due to this incident, Sarah’s interpersonal relationships in the class plummeted, and she even lost her chance in the class elections.
Therefore, those who achieve great things must calm down before taking action, avoid hasty decisions, and prevent ending up with negative outcomes and no accomplishments.
Humility and independence are essential; don’t blindly follow the crowd.
A psychologist once said, “People who tend to follow the crowd or engage in extreme behavior often have a sense of emptiness and nowhere to release their emotions.”
In today’s society, the ability to calm down and think rationally is crucial. When emotions have no outlet, we may act impulsively and follow the crowd.
Recently, due to the pandemic, many people chose to take civil service exams or public service exams at home. Most of them did so out of boredom, hoping for a stroke of luck to succeed.
I have asked people around me why they chose to take these exams. Aside from a few who did it to achieve their own value after careful consideration, the majority did so because they were influenced by others.
Little did they know, this is a form of conformity and impulsive behavior caused by extreme boredom.
To achieve great things, one must have independent thinking, not be influenced by others’ actions or external situations, control their own pace of life, avoid arrogance, and take charge of their own thoughts.
Patience and accumulation are more important than hasty actions.
There was a question raised on a program: “When starting a career, should one continue to accumulate experience or seek instant fame?”
The expert’s answer was: “During the rise of a career, one may feel confident and desire to showcase themselves to the world. However, this situation is short-lived. The long-term plan is to continue to accumulate experience and solidify one’s abilities when capable.”
Indeed, during the initial stages of one’s career, showcasing oneself may bring quick success and an extensive network, but these relationships are superficial and temporary.
To achieve great things, one must focus on accumulating experience, enabling themselves to match with higher circles and build better relationships.
Impatient individuals seek short-term benefits and success. However, those who achieve great things have a long-term vision, focus on accumulating experience, and steadily work towards greater success.
Therefore, impatience often leads to regrettable mistakes. It is essential to stay calm at the right time, control one’s thought process, and avoid paying the price for impulsive actions.
May everyone become a person with a promising future and great accomplishments in life.