13. Haste Makes Waste

A famous saying goes “Haste makes waste”, which means that one should do everything step by step. Even simple operations can easily be spoiled if we rush to complete them, neglecting important stages in the process. One should make full preparations before beginning any task.

Taking a look around, we can find examples too numerous to list. The best illustration might be English study. Without a good command of pronunciation, we can never hope to speak in an understandable way. Similarly, if we do not learn to spell properly and to acquire a basic grasp of grammar, we will never succeed in writing good compositions.

(或Actually, history abounds with examples of haste making waste. A well-known Chinese fable goes that a farm tried to help the shoots grow by pulling them upward, only to find that they died soon. Another case in point is the so-called Great Leap Forward movement in China in 1950’

(或Here I can think of no better illustration of the proverb than the experience of my own. At the age of 11 or 12, I began to learn to ride. Eager to ride as well as others, I started by sitting on the saddle at the very beginning. Predictably, I often fell from over the bike. Lots of time had been wasted before I realized that I should do it step by step. I tried to slide by standing on one pedal. Then I began to ride the bike from under the cross bar. Finally, I succeeded. )

In short, laying a solid foundation is essential if we want to make achievements in our studies or work, or indeed in any other aspect of our lives. At every step, review what has been achieved and assess the problems ahead before moving to the next step. And remember, Rome was not built in a day.