Drops of water hollow out a stone. — Ovid · Smartyfair

Drops of water hollow out a stone.

Ovid43–17 BC · poet · Ancient RomeOvid was a Roman poet famous for his long poem Metamorphoses, a collection of myths about people and gods transforming into animals, plants, and stars.1 quote

Source foundPerseveranceAncient

In plain words

Tiny effort, repeated long enough, wears through anything.

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Where these words come from

How sure this is: 85% sureThese words were traced back to where they first appeared. That source is listed below.
What turned up: Epistulae ex Ponto, IV.x.5 (Arthur Leslie Wheeler translation, Loeb Classical Library); Wikiquote sourced section.
Sources checked: en.wikiquote.orgChecked using claude-sonnet-5, 20 August 2026Sourced Epistulae ex Ponto section, Wheeler translation of gutta cavat lapidem

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More on perseverance

It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.

Confucius Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.

Lao Tzu Slow and steady wins the race.

Aesop Patience is the key to relief.Arabic proverb Few things are impossible to diligence and skill.

Samuel Johnson Only after Winter comes do we know that the pine and the cypress are the last to fade.

More history

In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.

Sun Tzu The wound is the place where the light enters you.

Rumi You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.

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Marcus Aurelius An unexamined life is not worth living.

Socrates Wonder is the feeling of a philosopher, and philosophy begins in wonder.