--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was the waiting and watching that cost…" description: "\"“It was the waiting and watching that cost the most. For during that time he had to endure.”\" — Orson Scott Card" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/261/orson-scott-card-134_patience_it-was-the-waiting-and-watching-that-cos_905051.png" --- # It was the waiting and watching that cost the most. For… ![“It was the waiting and watching that cost the most. For during that time he had to endure.” quote by Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/261/orson-scott-card-134_patience_it-was-the-waiting-and-watching-that-cos_905051.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/261/orson-scott-card-134_patience_it-was-the-waiting-and-watching-that-cos_905051.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/261/orson-scott-card-134_patience_it-was-the-waiting-and-watching-that-cos_905051.png) > ““It was the waiting and watching that cost the most. For during that time he had to endure.”” [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Patience and endurance are costly; waiting tests one's resilience. **In simple terms:** Waiting and watching are painful. Key Takeaway Practice patience with purpose. Themes patience endurance cost Mood tensive determined Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - military training - long‑term projects - personal growth Key Concepts psychology strategy Questions to Reflect On - What does waiting teach you? - How do you balance endurance and action? A Different Perspective Endurance can lead to burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cost Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cost-time-1277751/) [Patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patience/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time Endure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-endure-1277750/) [Waiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting/) [Waiting Watching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting-watching-1277748/) [Watching Cost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/watching-cost-1277749/) ## Related quotes > [“Kindness was too painful. It had been a long time since he had had to endure it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/kindness-was-too-painful-it-had-been-a-long-time-since-he-had-had-to/) [Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/) > [“I saw something last night-a flash of power from an unexpected source. I can't jump to conclusions - I've been looking and waiting and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-tiernan/i-saw-something-last-night-a-flash-of-power-from-an-unexpected-source/) [Cate Tiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-tiernan/) > [“Nope, Ali’s waiting on you. He’s in there watching some cockamamie show about a dysfunctional family that makes duck calls.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/nope-ali-s-waiting-on-you-he-s-in-there-watching-some-cockamamie-show/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [“You've been waiting in the bushes for half an hour just to speak to me?" Kit shrugs. "I've done sniper training. I can sit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mila-gray/you-ve-been-waiting-in-the-bushes-for-half-an-hour-just-to-speak-to/) [Mila Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mila-gray/) > [“You can spend your life waiting and watching for perfect moments, but sometimes you have to make one happen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/you-can-spend-your-life-waiting-and-watching-for-perfect-moments-but/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [“Power was always a rush. Almost as much of a turn on as waiting, watching, and risking discovery.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-wells/power-was-always-a-rush-almost-as-much-of-a-turn-on-as-waiting/) [Maggie Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-wells/) > [The greatest cost, namely time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antiphon/the-greatest-cost-namely-time/) [Antiphon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antiphon/) > [Since your time is your main involvement here - I mean, the clay doesn't cost very much. Even the glaze and the firing doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-mackenzie/since-your-time-is-your-main-involvement-here-i-mean-the-clay-doesn-t/) [Warren MacKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-mackenzie/) > [“Even free things, things that cost no money, still cost time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/even-free-things-things-that-cost-no-money-still-cost-time/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [Sending too many messages will cost you nothing, but the time you invest cost you every thing...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/sending-too-many-messages-will-cost-you-nothing-but-the-time-you/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [“So this is it ⎯ what cost me all that time. A man who turned out to be old, a house that turned out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/so-this-is-it-what-cost-me-all-that-time-a-man-who-turned-out-to-be/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [“Everything comes at a cost to others, most of the time at a cost to ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecelia-ahern/everything-comes-at-a-cost-to-others-most-of-the-time-at-a-cost-to/) [Cecelia Ahern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecelia-ahern/) > [Anything can become a children's book if you give it to a child...Children are actually the best (and worst) audience for literature because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/anything-can-become-a-children-s-book-if-you-give-it-to-a-child/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Being patient and waiting on the right one to come and treat me right. And I'll wait as long as it takes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-patient-and-waiting-on-the-right-one-to-come-and-treat-me-right/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Good things come to those who hustle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-noll/good-things-come-to-those-who-hustle/) [Chuck Noll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-noll/) ## More by Orson Scott Card > [“You underestimate yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/you-underestimate-yourself/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [We're like the wicked witch. We promise gingerbread, then eat the little brats alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/we-re-like-the-wicked-witch-we-promise-gingerbread-then-eat-the/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [I think that most of us, anyway, read these stories that we know are not "true" because we're hungry for another kind of truth:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/i-think-that-most-of-us-anyway-read-these-stories-that-we-know-are/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“Why did he hesitate? He finally admitted to himself that he was like an American child who was almost completely certain about Santa Claus,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/why-did-he-hesitate-he-finally-admitted-to-himself-that-he-was-like/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“I don't know of a soul who doesn't maintain two separate lists of doctrines - the ones they believe they believe; and the ones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/i-don-t-know-of-a-soul-who-doesn-t-maintain-two-separate-lists-of/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Good people do not let others suffer needlessly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/good-people-do-not-let-others-suffer-needlessly/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“The devil?” Jason heaved the tick over his shoulder like a collier with his sack. “Satan. The adversary. The enemy of the plan of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/the-devil-jason-heaved-the-tick-over-his-shoulder-like-a-collier-with/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“What we've done is make the categories of science fiction and fantasy larger, freer, and more inclusive than any other genre of contemporary literature.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/what-we-ve-done-is-make-the-categories-of-science-fiction-and-fantasy/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Where ideas are real and reality is shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/where-ideas-are-real-and-reality-is-shadow/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“Ender, for the past few months you have been the battle commander of our fleets. This was the Third Invasion. There were no games,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/ender-for-the-past-few-months-you-have-been-the-battle-commander-of/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Science fiction is about what could be but isn't; fantasy is about what couldn't be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/science-fiction-is-about-what-could-be-but-isn-t-fantasy-is-about/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Knowledge is just opinion that you trust enough to act upon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/knowledge-is-just-opinion-that-you-trust-enough-to-act-upon/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“Of course they accused Marcão of having done it without provocation—that’s the way of torturers of every age, to put the blame on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/of-course-they-accused-marc-o-of-having-done-it-without-provocation/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“Civilization is only a pretense; in the crisis, we become mere apes again, forgetting the rational biped of our pretensions and becoming instead the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/civilization-is-only-a-pretense-in-the-crisis-we-become-mere-apes/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“Where did this whole thing begin? If what we think of as reality is just a pattern that somebody brought Outside, and the universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/where-did-this-whole-thing-begin-if-what-we-think-of-as-reality-is/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) [Explore all 1,158 Orson Scott Card quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) ## More Patience quotes > [Many patients imagine that they have tried everything. True, they have used many remedies, but they have never had the cause of their infirmity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-d-palmer/many-patients-imagine-that-they-have-tried-everything-true-they-have/) [Daniel D. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-d-palmer/) > [Dating someone on the opposite end of the happy spectrum teaches you an incredible amount of patience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pine/dating-someone-on-the-opposite-end-of-the-happy-spectrum-teaches-you/) [Chris Pine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pine/) > [I am fairly tired--bored beyond endurance--by the world we live in, and its ideals, and am ready to say so, not violently, but kindly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/i-am-fairly-tired-bored-beyond-endurance-by-the-world-we-live-in-and/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [The faster you go, the shorter you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-faster-you-go-the-shorter-you-are/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [We're on the road 300 days a year. There's no recovery time. It's a test of your physical and mental endurance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-phoenix/we-re-on-the-road-300-days-a-year-there-s-no-recovery-time-it-s-a/) [Beth Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-phoenix/) > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [“Here is my procedure for a saliva test: Prepare 7 strips of pH paper. Take a baseline pH reading. Have the patient drink 10cc…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ameer-rosic/here-is-my-procedure-for-a-saliva-test-prepare-7-strips-of-ph-paper/) [Ameer Rosic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ameer-rosic/) > [“There is no time for patience - there is no time for diplomacy - there is no time for policies, legislations and meaningless paperwork.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/there-is-no-time-for-patience-there-is-no-time-for-diplomacy-there-is/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [Grace is the wonderful spirit that imbues every fiber of our being when we practice the fruits of the spirit: kindness, patience, understanding, forgiveness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-cayce/grace-is-the-wonderful-spirit-that-imbues-every-fiber-of-our-being/) [Edgar Cayce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-cayce/) > [“Prayer of an Anonymous Abbess: Lord, thou knowest better than myself that I am growing older and will soon be old. Keep me from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/prayer-of-an-anonymous-abbess-lord-thou-knowest-better-than-myself/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Every patient carries her or his own doctor inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-schweitzer/every-patient-carries-her-or-his-own-doctor-inside/) [Albert Schweitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-schweitzer/) > [Character never quits; and with patience and persistence; Dreams do come true!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-maravich/character-never-quits-and-with-patience-and-persistence-dreams-do/) [Pete Maravich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-maravich/) > [I don't know about writing. It's quite lonely. You have to have a lot of patience with yourself. I don't know if I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-wilson/i-don-t-know-about-writing-it-s-quite-lonely-you-have-to-have-a-lot/) [Ruth Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-wilson/) > [There are few husbands whom the wife cannot win in the long run, by patience and love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-of-valois/there-are-few-husbands-whom-the-wife-cannot-win-in-the-long-run-by/) [Margaret of Valois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-of-valois/) > [God has perfect timing...Never early...never late...It takes a little patience...It takes a lot of faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-has-perfect-timing-never-early-never-late-it-takes-a-little/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 7,997 Patience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patience/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It was the waiting and watching that cost the most. 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