Different turtles symbolize different characters. The most obvious is patience because turtles are never in a hurry unless they are startled. They exercise the art of patience by taking all the time they need to get to where they are going. Other things symbolized by turtles include endurance, hearing, listening, wisdom, longevity, peace, patience, skills, speed, and survival. These are pretty much the life skills we need to incorporate into our lives.