Whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well.

The saying argues for a standard of care: if an activity is genuinely worth undertaking, it deserves competent, even excellent, execution. It links value to effort—discouraging perfunctory work and implying that doing something poorly can negate its purpose or reflect badly on the doer. In Chesterfield’s moral-social framework, “doing well” is not only about craftsmanship but also about character and credibility: diligence, precision, and follow-through become marks of a disciplined person. Read critically, the maxim can also be seen as an exhortation toward perfectionism; its practical wisdom lies in using it to choose commitments wisely—either do it properly or reconsider doing it at all.

1) “Whatever is worth doing is worth doing well.”
2) “If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing well.”
3) “Whatsoever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well.”