Patience- Key to success or the Sign of Weakness?

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Bill Gates once said “ Patience is the key element of success”. The word patience is used variably by various persons in different sense that too at various levels. It pays like the race of “Hare and Tortoise”, where the patience and steady tortoise won the race but it was not because the Tortoise was fast but because the Hare considered its competitor slow.

So to conclude I can say that the tortoise won because

1. Of its patience and cool, calm and consistent movement or

2. It won because of over coolness and patience of the Hare

It means the Tortoise won because of its patience and the Hare lost because of its patience. Means patience makes one win and at the same time it may be the reason of ones loss.

Patience the way to success

Patience- a word used by scholars, sage, politicians, parents, teachers, students and common people.

Socrates ones said, “Patience is bitter, but the fruit is sweet.”

Parents tell you to keep patience to achieve success

Teachers tell students to keep patience to score high in the exam.

As an administrator or as a business person you are advised to keep patience.

And the last but not the least, writers on Medium advises you to keep patience; forever, to make money.

Means in every sphere you are told to keep patience to mark your presence felt.

Patience the indicator of failure

However, in today’s competitive world your patience may some time lead to your failure.

Patience tells you to wait and wait extend your gap to the winning line.

Your patience sometimes help your competitor to dominate you,may be forever.

“One day your patience will win success for you”; keeps you waiting till your death.

Tortoise: Not Always a Winner

The Present World

Ukraine is paying price for its patience against Russian aggression in the beginning.

India is paying for its patience against Pak instigated terror acts. India has lost many more civilians in 10 years than it lost in 1965 or 1971 wars.

India’s patience against China has led to Chinese capture of Indian territories.

UN advise in 1948 to India has resulted in permanent capture of parts of Kashmir by Pakistan.

Sheikh Hasina’s patience resulted in her ouster.

Aung San Suu kyi failed to maintain her rule in Myanmar because of her patience.

And Gandhi’s patience delayed India’s independence by at least 2 years.

Elon Musk or Bill Gate succeeded not because of their patience but because of their smart work.

Trump is US President for the second time after he lost to Biden, not because of his patience but because of his aggressive approach towards domestic or international issues.

Similarly, present time China or Russia are at prime world position, only because of their aggressive postures. Modi in India engulfed all the works of Dr. Manmohan Singh not because of his patience but because of his timely diplomatic actions.

Conclusion

I may conclude to quote the words of Socrates “Patience is bitter, but the fruit is sweet” but with the rider that ambition can be achieved only with hard, smart and timely effort and not your patience.