Analects 13.17 · Zi Lu
“If you seek haste, you will not arrive; if you focus on small gains, great undertakings will not succeed.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
欲速則不達 見小利則大事不成 (yù sù zé bù dá, jiàn xiǎo lì zé dà shì bù chéng) means “If you seek haste, you will not arrive; if you focus on small gains, great undertakings will not succeed.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 13 (Zi Lu), Chapter 17.
欲速則不達 見小利則大事不成
- Pinyin
- yù sù zé bù dá, jiàn xiǎo lì zé dà shì bù chéng
- Translation
- If you seek haste, you will not arrive; if you focus on small gains, great undertakings will not succeed.
- Source
- Analects, Book 13 (Zi Lu), Chapter 17
What does this passage mean?
Seeking haste means wanting an immediate result, while failing to arrive means never reaching the destination. Confucius offered this advice when his disciple Zixia became governor of Jufu and asked about government. A rush for results prevents us from reaching the goal, while fixation on a small advantage prevents a great undertaking from succeeding. The passage is the source of the traditional maxim “haste prevents arrival.”
How can we apply it today?
The saying feels especially relevant to Korea’s “faster, faster” culture. Whether in dieting, investing, business, or study, the desire for quick results tempts us toward shortcuts, and most shortcuts become longer roads. Companies lose long-term value chasing quarterly profit; individuals neglect fundamentals in a rush to succeed. The truly fast path is steady progress in the right direction.
Questions to reflect on
- ·When has impatience caused you to spoil an undertaking?
- ·Have you lost sight of the larger picture because a small advantage tempted you?
- ·Are you choosing to do things properly rather than merely quickly?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 欲 | yù | hope for | 11 | 欠 (lack) |
| 速 | sù | fast | 10 | 辵 (walk) |
| 則 | zé | then; immediately | 9 | 刀 (knife) |
| 不 | bù | not | 4 | 一 (one) |
| 達 | dá | master | 13 | 辵 (walk) |
| 見 | jiàn | see | 7 | 見 (see) |
| 小 | xiǎo | small | 3 | 小 (small) |
| 利 | lì | beneficial | 7 | 刀 (knife) |
| 則 | zé | then; immediately | 9 | 刀 (knife) |
| 大 | dà | great | 3 | 大 (big) |
| 事 | shì | affair | 8 | 亅 (hook) |
| 不 | bù | not | 4 | 一 (one) |
| 成 | chéng | accomplish | 7 | 戈 (halberd) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “If you seek haste, you will not arrive; if…” mean?
欲速則不達 見小利則大事不成 (yù sù zé bù dá, jiàn xiǎo lì zé dà shì bù chéng) means “If you seek haste, you will not arrive; if you focus on small gains, great undertakings will not succeed.” It comes from the Analects, Book 13 (Zi Lu), Chapter 17.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 13.17: Book 13 (Zi Lu), Chapter 17.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
The saying feels especially relevant to Korea’s “faster, faster” culture.