Finally, patience carries moral weight. It protects the vulnerable from rash choices, yet it must never excuse avoidance. The UN’s postmortems on Rwanda (Independent Inquiry, 1999) warn that delay can cost lives when atrocities loom. Thus, ethical steadiness couples empathy with thresholds: define in advance the triggers that compel action, then communicate them clearly. In doing so, leaders honor Annan’s wisdom—keeping hands steady not to drift, but to steer responsibly toward safe water. [...]
