'More haste, less speed'. To make haste , to hurry is to rush and that is not the same as making good speed, going fast . The proverb points out the inefficiency in rushing around ; the more we rush the more likely we are, for rexample, to forget our keys, money, wallet, map or other essentials so we end up being late . More speed may involve less rushing, less haste; it may not make a difference sometimes; but it is certain that increasing the haste will eventually result in less speed. The Romans had the same proverbial thought : 'Festina lente' ' 'hurry slowly' (sometimes given as 'make haste slowly'); they took the wording from a Greek proverb, so the idea is an old and well-travelled one.