A slow horse goes the distance by never quitting.
Xunzi, Xunzi, Encouraging Learning (ch. 1)
駑馬十駕，功在不舍
A slow horse goes the distance by never quitting.
Xunzi, Xunzi, Encouraging Learning (ch. 1)
What it means
The champion horse cannot cover ten paces in one leap, but a plodding horse that keeps going for ten days gets there. Talent is a head start; persistence is the finish. Be the horse that does not stop.
The source
"A slow horse goes the distance by never quitting." Xunzi said it in Xunzi, Encouraging Learning (ch. 1). Translated from the original Chinese by Spartan Surfers.
"騏驥一躍，不能十歩；駑馬十駕 ... 功在不舍。"Original Chinese, Xunzi, Encouraging Learning (ch. 1). Text read at zh.wikisource.org.
Who said it
Xunzi (c. 310-235 BC). Confucian thinker who held that human nature has to be shaped by effort and learning. His essay Encouraging Learning is one of the great defenses of steady practice.
Questions
- What does "A slow horse goes the distance by never quitting." mean?
- The champion horse cannot cover ten paces in one leap, but a plodding horse that keeps going for ten days gets there. Talent is a head start; persistence is the finish. Be the horse that does not stop.
- Who said "A slow horse goes the distance by never quitting."?
- Xunzi (c. 310-235 BC). Source: Xunzi, Encouraging Learning (ch. 1).
- What is the original Chinese?
- 騏驥一躍，不能十歩；駑馬十駕 ... 功在不舍。. Translated from the original Chinese by Spartan Surfers.
- Is "A slow horse goes the distance by never quitting." on a shirt?
- Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.
Cite this line
"A slow horse goes the distance by never quitting." (Xunzi, Xunzi, Encouraging Learning (ch. 1), translated by Spartan Surfers). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/a-slow-horse-goes-the-distance-by-never
Filed under Quotes about discipline and grit.
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More from Xunzi
- Learning must never stop.Xunzi, Encouraging Learning (ch. 1)
- Blue comes from indigo, yet it's bluer than indigo.Xunzi, Encouraging Learning (ch. 1)
- No half steps, no thousand miles. No little streams, no sea.Xunzi, Encouraging Learning (ch. 1)
- Keep carving and even metal and stone give way.Xunzi, Encouraging Learning (ch. 1)
- The road may be short, but you won't arrive unless you walk.Xunzi, Self-Cultivation (ch. 2)