LORD CHESTERFIELD’S MAXIM:
“Whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well.”
Lord Chesterfield (Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield; 1694-1773)
British statesman and diplomat
One of the many bits of fatherly advice Chesterfield imparted in letters to his illegitimate son, Philip Stanhope. This one is from a letter dated March 10, 1746.
Chesterfield’s use is generally thought to have led to the modern proverbial version: “If a thing is worth doing, it’s worth doing well.” |
THE ECDYSIAST’S COUNTERQUOTE:
“If a thing is worth doing, it’s worth doing slowly — very slowly.”
Gypsy Rose Lee (Rose Louise Hovick; 1911-1970)
American Burlesque queen and author
This quip has been widely attributed to Lee in the decades since her death and appears to have been a favorite witticism of hers. However, there doesn’t seem to be any record of her saying it or using it in any of her books while she was alive. |
CHESTERTON’S COUNTERQUOTE:
“If a thing is worth doing it is worth doing badly.”
G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936)
English writer, philosopher and critic
A line from his book What’s Wrong with the World (1913). In context, it was his way of praising hobbies and other activities done by amateurs for pleasure, even if they have no special talent for them. |
WALLY’S WISDOM:
“My philosophy is that anything worth doing is too hard.”
The character Wally, in the December 27, 2004 edition of Scott Adams’ comic strip Dilbert. |
MAYBE MICK’S MOTTO?:
“Anything worth doing is worth overdoing.”
This saying is widely attributed to Mick Jagger, but without any specific citation of when he may have said it. The Yale Dictionary of Modern Proverbs says it dates back to at least 1962, when it was used in the headline of an ad for Jantzen Sportswear. |
THE SUCKY BEGINNINGS PRINCIPLE:
“Anything worth doing is going to suck at the beginning. Anything worth doing is meant to require pain and sacrifice. Herein lies the problem facing America, which originally was built on the moral of impulse control. What once used to be a country filled with people sacrificing momentary pleasure for a better future, the overpowering message of today is live for the moment.”
Benjamin P. Hardy
American columnist and author
In one of his posts on the TheLadders.com site (Jan. 22, 2019)
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