It takes less time to do a thing right, than it does to explain why you did it wrong.

The saying contrasts the apparent “speed” of cutting corners with the real costs of error. Doing a task correctly the first time may require more care up front, but mistakes often trigger delays: rework, damage control, and the social labor of justification. The line also implies an ethical dimension—accountability is easier when one’s work can stand on its own—while offering a practical maxim for workplaces and crafts where quality prevents downstream friction. Its enduring popularity reflects modern managerial and engineering wisdom about prevention over remediation, even if the attribution to a famous poet lends it a moral authority beyond its likely origin.