Persistence — the ability to hang in there with something difficult without turning away, to be willing to simply wait when waiting is what's called for — is not a throwaway virtue, and it is not simply a form of passivity. Persistence is a powerful and positive virtue that can be cultivated and developed. It's a key practice for nurturing all the qualities of maturity that we value: stability, responsibility, self-acceptance, a loving heart — all require that we persist with what we are up to, that we stick with it steadfastly, without glancing off or running away.
— Norman Fischer, Taking Our Places