Patience is passion tamed.

The American theologian and writer Lyman Abbott, a man of letters and faith in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, once spoke with piercing clarity: “Patience is passion tamed.” In this brief yet profound statement, he united two forces often thought to be opposites — patience and passion. He reminds us that patience is not the absence of passion, but its discipline. It is fire, but fire under control. It is desire, but desire that has learned endurance.

Passion alone can be wild, restless, and consuming. It drives men to chase dreams, to fight battles, to climb mountains. But ungoverned, it burns too quickly, consuming its bearer in frustration and rash action. Patience, on the other hand, is that same flame, but harnessed. It is passion bridled like a mighty stallion, its strength directed toward purpose rather than wasted in frenzy. Abbott’s words reveal that patience is not weakness, not dull waiting, but the noblest form of passion — passion that has submitted to wisdom.

History is filled with heroes who embodied this truth. Consider the journey of Mahatma Gandhi, whose passion for justice burned brighter than any torch. Yet he refused to let it erupt in violence or reckless action. Instead, he tamed his passion into patience, enduring imprisonment, insults, and years of waiting while holding to the slow and steady path of nonviolent resistance. His patience was not passivity, but passion disciplined — and it reshaped an empire.

Another shining example lies in Thomas Edison, who dreamed of light conquering darkness. His passion drove him to experiment thousands of times with different filaments, many of which failed. An impatient man would have abandoned the effort, but Edison’s passion was tamed into patience. His steady persistence turned what seemed like endless failure into triumph. The electric light, which now shines across the world, was not born from passion alone, but from passion tamed.

Abbott’s words also warn us of the danger of confusing impatience with strength. The impatient spirit believes that quickness proves passion. But haste often leads to ruin, while patient endurance yields lasting fruit. A soldier who charges too soon loses the battle; a farmer who harvests too early loses the crop. It is the union of passion and patience that creates victory: passion to dream, and patience to wait for the dream to ripen.

The wisdom here is not to extinguish passion, but to master it. Each of us is born with fire — a longing to achieve, to create, to love, to serve. Yet this fire must be trained. To tame passion into patience is to learn to hold one’s energy, to endure trials, to persist beyond setbacks. It is not resignation, but strength in its highest form. Patience, then, is the maturity of passion.

Therefore, O children of the future, hold fast to Abbott’s truth: “Patience is passion tamed.” Let your hearts burn with desire, but do not let your desire consume you. Harness your energy with discipline. Pursue your vision not with reckless haste, but with steady endurance. For the dreams that endure are not born of fleeting flame, but of passion tempered by patience — a fire that warms, guides, and endures until the very end.