出自汉·桓宽《盐铁论·刺复》。做大事的人要有耐心，没耐心就会乱了方寸，误了大事；做小事的人不能有怠慢轻忽之心，否则事情就做不成。前句之意是说，做大事（如治国安邦）要有足够的耐心，不能有浮躁之气，不然思虑不周，定会坏了大事。

I'm a failed poet. Maybe every novelist wants to write poetry first, finds he can't, and then tries the short story, which is the most demanding form after poetry. And, failing at that, only then does he take up novel writing.