007Japanese proverb ことわざ
急がば回れ
いそがばまわれIsogaba maware
“If you are in a hurry, take the long way round.”
The meaning
Haste creates its own obstacles. The safe road, though longer, often arrives before the risky shortcut.
At the origin
The image comes from a Muromachi-era poem: better to go around Lake Biwa by road than risk crossing it by boat.
The characters
In practice
When urgency rises, choose the reliable method over the fastest one.