Being busy and hurried is really not a badge of honor, although some people actually take pride in it.
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In fact, hurrying is a hustle that gradually suffocates us. Constantly racing against the clock isn’t just exhausting — it actively reshapes your brain, floods your body with stress hormones, steals your peace, and ultimately makes you — and the people around you — ill.
In any case, folk wisdom from around the world frequently warns us against the dangers of hurrying. Many cultures across the globe have developed unique, colorful, and sometimes humorous idioms and expressions to remind us that rushing usually backfires.
Here are some examples of how different countries express (or have expressed) the backlash of hurrying. Keep in mind that the proverbs are translated literally into English (except for those that are originally in the English language, of course):
Ancient Roman Empire
Make haste slowly.
The story goes that it was the personal motto of Emperor Augustus, who loathed rushing. To visually represent this proverb, Roman coins often featured a crab holding a butterfly, or a dolphin wrapped around an anchor — symbols of swift movement perfectly balanced by stillness.
He who chases two hares catches neither.
This proverb warns against the rushed multi-tasking mindset. If you hurry trying to do everything at once out of a frantic desire to save time, you will fail at all of your objectives.
China
Desire for speed leads to failure.
A Confucian proverb meaning that focusing entirely on quick results prevents you from achieving thorough success.
Germany
Haste with leisure.
This proverb advises finding a balanced pace by maintaining forward momentum but without losing your composure or precision.
Greece
Whoever hurries, stumbles.
It’s pointing out that moving too fast physically or mentally guarantees a clumsy mistake.
Italy
The hasty cat gives birth to blind kittens.
It means that nothing good can come from extreme haste. If you’re doing things too quickly it leads to incomplete, flawed, or poorly thought-out results.
Japan
If you are in a hurry, take the long way around.
It means that taking a proven, slightly longer path is faster than looking for shortcuts that might result in getting lost or stuck.
Saudi Arabia
In haste there is repentance.
This is a traditional Arabic saying warning that actions taken in a rush lead to regret.
South Korea
If you hurry, your nose will touch it.
It means that rushing impulsively into things without paying attention will cause you to fall flat on your face (or bump your nose), resulting in costly mistakes.
Spain
Dress me slowly, because I am in a hurry.
This phrase implies that when you’re short on time, you must move deliberately. If you rush while getting dressed, you will tangle your clothes and waste even more time.
The Netherlands
Hurried speed is rarely good.
It means that doing things too quickly or hurriedly often leads to mistakes or a poor result.
Hurry when you have time, then you’ll have time when you’re in a hurry.
This saying means that you should prepare for and complete tasks on time while you still have peace and free time, so that you’re ready for anything and remain calm when things get busy or require haste.
The United Kingdom
More haste, less speed.
This is a classic piece of British folk wisdom used to caution people who are working too frantically. It reminds them that a rushed job usually requires a second attempt to fix the errors.
The United States
Hold your horses!
An American proverb that dates back to the 19th-century days of horse-drawn wagons. It means “slow down,” “be patient,” or “don’t rush into a decision.”
Trinidad & Tobago
The higher the monkey climbs, the more he shows his ass.
Rushing to elevate your status or finish a job without proper preparation will just expose your flaws to everyone.
