Meaning & Analysis
The timeliness of a task is defined by its quality; if a job is done well, its completion is considered to be on time, regardless of the actual duration.
Insights
Quality over Speed
The proverb champions the principle that true value lies in the quality and durability of an outcome, not the speed of its creation. It suggests that diligent, careful work is a better investment than rushed efforts that may prove inadequate.
Redefining Timeliness
It redefines success by shifting the focus from mere completion to the standard of execution. A task is only truly 'done' when it is done correctly, implying that a rushed, flawed effort is effectively an unfinished one.
The Inefficiency of Haste
The proverb serves as a practical warning that haste often leads to errors that require more time to fix than was saved. It embodies the idea that a deliberate pace is often the most efficient path to a successful and final outcome.
Classical and Humanist Ideal
Originating from the Latin 'Sat cito, si sat bene' and popularized by Renaissance humanists like Erasmus, the proverb reflects a classical and enduring emphasis on craftsmanship over speed. Its appearance in works like Ascham's 'Toxophilus' grounds it in the practical arts, where the quality of a product (like a bow) is a matter of utility and safety, not just aesthetics.
Critique of Haste
The proverb serves as a timeless critique of the culture of haste, valuing deep work and meticulousness over superficial productivity. It challenges the modern obsession with speed, suggesting that true efficiency lies in producing a lasting, quality result that does not require correction or replacement.
Psychology of Patience
Psychologically, the proverb advocates for delayed gratification. It contrasts the immediate satisfaction of completing a task quickly with the deeper, more lasting fulfillment of achieving excellence through patient, deliberate effort, highlighting the virtue of discipline over impulsiveness.
Rhetorical Devices
Parallelism
The proverb's power comes from its balanced, parallel structure ('Soon enough' / 'well enough'), creating a memorable and rhythmic statement that logically connects speed to quality.
Conditional Clause
The use of the conditional 'if' establishes a clear and logical cause-and-effect relationship, framing quality as the non-negotiable prerequisite for acceptable timeliness.
Repetition
The repetition of 'enough' reinforces the central idea of sufficiency, binding the concepts of time and quality together into a single, cohesive standard of completion.
Transcription
Quotations
Sat cito, si sat bene.
*Men whiche labour more spedily to make manye bowes . . than they woorke dilligently to make good bowes . . not layinge before theyr eyes, thys wyse prouerbe.
That which is done wel, is done soon inough.
That thing is quickly done, that is done wel.
It skilled not how long things were a doing, but how well they were done.
What is well done, is done soon enough.
We do it soon enough, if what we do be well.
Weil don soon done.
(With this Impresa, Sone).
Soone enough done, if well done.
It is soone done which is wel done.
That is well done that is done soone enough.
We do it soon enough if that we do be well.
What's well done is done soon enough.
[As in 1651 Herb.]
(is well enough).
That is done soon enough, which is well done.
[As in a1598 Ferg.]
We examine not how long one has been doing of a work, but if it be well done.
Cross References
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
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