Desire to have things done quickly prevents them from being done thoroughly

The expression “Desire to have things done quickly prevents them from being done thoroughly” is Confucius’s paired warning against haste and short-sighted advantage. Addressed to Zixia, who has become governor of Chu-fu and asks about government, it makes effective administration depend not merely on energetic action but on the patience to pursue important work without letting speed or petty gain distort its purpose.

Counsel to a new governor

Zixia’s question gives the saying a practical political setting: he asks how to govern, and Confucius answers with two connected prohibitions. Do not be eager for quick results, and do not look to small advantages. The counsel is not an abstract celebration of slowness; it is directed to someone with responsibility for public affairs, where a decision’s consequences extend beyond the immediate task.

Two routes to failure

The first warning sets speed against completion. A desire to have things done quickly can prevent them from being done thoroughly: the apparent gain in pace undermines the quality or fulfillment of the work itself. The second warning turns from pace to scale. Attention fixed on minor benefits interferes with the accomplishment of major undertakings. In each half, a near-term attraction—immediate results or small profit—works against the larger purpose it seems to serve.

Political and ethical force

Placed among the book’s teachings on government, the maxim defines good administration as a discipline of judgment rather than mere activity. It cautions a governor against mistaking visible haste for progress or limited advantage for success. Its compact, balanced construction makes the relationship memorable: rushing frustrates thoroughness; grasping at the small can defeat the great. The advice asks public action to be measured by whether it brings substantial work to completion, not by the speed or immediate reward it promises.