Well, you should know that patterns will solve all the world's programming problems, achieve world peace, feed the starving masses, and stave off global warming. Programming patterns have often been over hyped, but the authors of Design Patterns are not guilty of this offense. They portray patterns realistically and practically.
Patterns abound in nature and in human-created artifacts.
The authors draw their inspiration from architecture, but you can find patterns throughout everyday life. When you cook a casserole, you don't need to rediscover the best temperature setting, the best cooking dish, and so on. You follow the pattern for a casserole and choose the specific ingredients that you want to include to make your casserole special. The same is true for programming patterns. Most programming problems are not new.