quote · Words worth keeping
Make haste slowly.
Make haste slowly.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Work towards the goal promptly, but with enough care that rushing does not create mistakes and delays.
What the words are saying
The apparent contradiction joins two different things: urgency about the objective and deliberateness in the method. Moving quickly does not require skipping checks or acting without thought. A careful first pass can be faster overall than a rushed attempt followed by repeated corrections. The phrase therefore recommends controlled progress, not idleness disguised as perfectionism. 'Slowly' qualifies how the work is done, while 'haste' preserves the need to keep moving.
Everyday example
Before sending an important report, a writer spends a few minutes checking the figures and recipient. That small pause prevents a larger correction exercise later.
When to use it
Use it when a deadline creates pressure to abandon the basic care that makes successful completion possible.
What it does not mean
Excessive checking can also become a delay. The aim is enough care for the actual risks, not an impossible guarantee against every error.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Latin proverb
Attribution: attributed - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided quotation collection
Supplied reference C; CSV row 406396; supplied attribution, independently unverified
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.