The Cult of Insant: Are we losing patience?

We live in a world obsessed with speed. "Change your child in 15 minutes!" scream the social media gurus. "Get rich in 99 days!" promise the online ads. The glorification of instant gratification is everywhere, and it's no surprise that "now" and "fast" have become the driving forces of our culture. But in this rush for immediate results, are we sacrificing something crucial: patience?

It's a valid question. We lament the perceived lack of resilience in younger generations, their seeming inability to delay gratification. But haven't we, as a society, created this expectation of instant results? When every click promises a solution, every app delivers instant access, and every advertisement whispers of overnight success, is it any wonder that patience seems like a relic of a bygone era?

This isn't just about kids wanting things right now. It's a deeper issue that affects how we approach everything, from personal growth to professional development. We hear whispers that the "greats" aren't being made anymore. "Where's the next Zakir Hussain?" we ask. But perhaps the problem isn't a lack of talent, but a lack of time – and the willingness to invest it.

Mastery, whether in music, art, or any other field, requires dedication, perseverance, and, yes, patience. It's about the slow, deliberate accumulation of skills, the countless hours of practice, the acceptance of setbacks, and the quiet determination to keep going. These qualities aren't cultivated in a culture that prizes instant results.

The truth is, true and lasting change, whether personal or societal, rarely happens overnight. Building a strong relationship with your child, achieving financial stability, mastering a musical instrument – these things take time, effort, and a willingness to embrace the journey, not just the destination.

So, what can we do? Perhaps it starts with recognizing the insidious nature of the "instant" mindset and actively pushing back against it. We need to celebrate the process, not just the outcome. We need to teach our children the value of hard work, perseverance, and the satisfaction of achieving something through sustained effort. We need to model patience ourselves, resisting the urge to jump on the next "quick fix" bandwagon.

It won't be easy. The siren call of instant gratification is powerful. But if we want to cultivate resilience, depth, and true mastery in ourselves and future generations, we need to rediscover the power of patience. We need to remember that sometimes, the greatest rewards are those that require the greatest investment of time and effort. And we need to remember that true greatness isn't built in 15 minutes, 99 days, or even a year. It's built over a lifetime of dedicated practice and unwavering patience.