Indeed it appears that the faster things go, the less patience we are able to muster. This is a problem because life inevitably has a certain degree of delay in the form of lines, traffic jams, and automated message systems. More important, our lack of patience creates difficulties because the more complex of life's challenges — illness, disablility, relationship conflicts, job crises, parenting issues, to name a few — require that we practice patience in order not merely to cope, but to grow in love and wisdom.
— M. J. Ryan, The Power of Patience