“Haste misses the goal; seeing a small gain prevents great work from being completed.” The sentence comes from the Zilu chapter of the Analects. When Zixia asked about governing Jufu, Confucius first advised him not to seek haste or fixate on small gains, then stated these consequences. “Seeking haste” is not simply acting quickly; it is trying to bypass a necessary process. “Seeing a small gain” means allowing an immediate benefit to obscure the larger aim.
The sentence does not make slowness a virtue in itself. The practical question is whether judgement and quality survive acceleration, and whether accepting a minor advantage quietly changes the long-term direction. Speed can increase, but the destination should not disappear in the rush.
https://ctext.org/analects/zi-lu
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