proverb · Words worth keeping
If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.
If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying makes doing a task oneself necessary for getting it right. It expresses distrust of relying on others to meet an expectation.
What the words are saying
Have to turns a preference into a universal requirement. A critical reading clarifies what right means and what support a task needs before rejecting cooperation. Doing something personally is not proof of competence, and delegation or shared work may serve the aim.
Everyday example
Someone explains a task’s requirements before deciding whether to do it alone or work with others.
When to use it
Use it to examine control and trust without a self-reliance guarantee.
What it does not mean
Working alone does not guarantee correctness or make others’ contributions inferior.
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
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - 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 proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 648; PDF page 94
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.