proverb · Words worth keeping
Mistakes occur through haste, never through doing a thing leisurely.
Mistakes occur through haste, never through doing a thing leisurely.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying attributes mistakes to haste and denies them in leisurely work. It values allowing time for care.
Example
Someone allows time for a relevant review without assuming that slowness itself makes the work correct.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Never makes the contrast absolute and unsupported: slow work can still be mistaken, while timely fast action can be sound. A useful interpretation identifies what checks a task needs rather than treating speed alone as proof of error. Delay also has consequences in some situations.
When to use it
Use it to discuss care and task-appropriate timing.
Keep in mind
Neither speed guarantees error nor leisure guarantees correctness.
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