Hello,
Yes, I would stress patience. Usually, a little extra patience in doing your own research will save a novice user the embarrassment of asking an easy question. I know that more than once, being impatiently flustered, I asked a silly question only to find the answer five minutes later on my own. And oh, how sheepish I feel then.
Of course, one should not be ashamed of asking a question that you truly cannot grapple on your own - even if it is the easiest and oldest question in the book.