proverb · Words worth keeping
Delays are dangerous.
Delays are dangerous.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Postponing a needed action can allow a problem to grow or an opportunity to close. Consider the consequences of waiting rather than assuming that delay preserves every option.
Example
A group confirms a disputed room booking promptly rather than waiting until the event week, when there may be no alternative room left.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The proverb warns that time can change a situation while nothing appears to be happening. A missed check, unresolved arrangement or unanswered request may become harder to address later. It is a prompt to identify a meaningful next step instead of putting off an uncomfortable task automatically. The saying does not make speed the right answer in every case. Waiting may be necessary to obtain information, permission or appropriate help. The useful judgement compares the risks of acting now with the risks of delay, recognising that doing nothing is itself a choice with possible consequences.
When to use it
Use it when postponement could make a specific problem harder to resolve.
Keep in mind
Some delays protect sound judgement or safety; identify the actual consequence instead of treating urgency as self-evident.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown
- Culture
- English