“Patience is a virtue” is a frequently used saying. In many cultures and society, patience is considered an important principal of good manners and social customs. However there are many circumstances where immediate action is required and patience can be a detriment.
Another expression about patience goes, “Good things come to those who wait.” The philosophy behind this is that if you are patient and wait to assess the situation before you act, you will be rewarded. There are many instances where this principle does not apply. Take people who invest in business for example. When Facebook was first started, it was seen as an underdog compared to the other internet networking giants like Yahoo. When the company started up, many people did not invest because they wanted to wait and see how the company got along. There were a few people that did not wait, and now they are worth billions of dollars. Sometimes while waiting for the opportune moment, you miss the biggest opportunities. In the case of business ventures, good things come to those who act.
Politics and international relations is another area that most people say require patience. However there are several instances in history that prove a patient country sometimes regrets waiting. During the 1930s,...