Is anything worth doing worth doing badly?
For many of the best things in life, yes. G.K. Chesterton flipped the proverb in his 1910 book What's Wrong with the World, defending the amateur who dabbles in many things rather than leaving everything to specialists. The point is not that quality doesn't matter, but that singing, cooking, dancing and painting are worth doing for their own sake, even when you are not very good.
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The original proverb, if a thing is worth doing it is worth doing well, is the kind of thing printed on school walls. It is good advice for bridges, surgery and tax returns. It is terrible advice for singing in the shower.
Where the line comes from
The twist comes from G.K. Chesterton's What's Wrong with the World, a 1910 collection of essays that grew out of a newspaper's question about what was wrong with the world. The line closes a chapter on education, "Folly and Female Education". Chesterton is arguing, in his paradoxical way, for the value of the great amateur: the person who dabbles in many arts, sings and paints and gardens, rather than becoming a narrow specialist in one.
The chapter is very much of its time, and its argument is tied up with Edwardian ideas about women and education that have not aged well. But the closing line has escaped its context and found a much wider, happier life.
Why the line holds up
Some things are worth doing for the doing. Dancing at a wedding, kicking a ball in the park, making a lopsided birthday cake. Nobody needs these to be excellent. They are worth doing because they are fun, sociable and yours.
Doing things badly is how you start doing them well. Every competent cook burned a lot of onions first. If the rule were "only do it if you can do it well", nobody would ever begin anything.
The alternative is watching. If only experts sing, the rest of us are an audience. Chesterton's worry was a world where everyone specialises and nobody plays. A bit of cheerful amateurism keeps the arts, sports and kitchens of ordinary life alive.
What it doesn't mean
It is not permission to be careless with things that matter to other people. Your colleague's report, a friend's wedding speech, the bike you are fixing for your child: these deserve your best effort. The line is about the large, joyful territory where the main point is taking part.
How to take it to heart
- Pick one thing you would do badly, gladly. Watercolours, karaoke, five-a-side, the ukulele.
- Remove the scorecard. No tracking, no targets, no comparing to the people on the internet.
- Do it with others who are also bad at it. Beginners' classes and amateur clubs are full of excellent company.
- Notice when the old proverb sneaks back in. "There's no point if I can't do it properly" is usually the moment to carry on anyway.
We write more about protecting that kind of pastime in keeping a hobby just for fun.
Badly is relative
Almost nobody who sings at a party is as bad as they fear, and almost nobody listening minds. The bar for enjoyment is much lower than the bar for performance. That is the gift of the line: it moves you from one bar to the other.
FAQ
Did Chesterton mean it as a joke?
He loved paradox, and the line is playful. But it carries a serious argument about amateurs and specialists, which is why it has lasted.
Doesn't this encourage mediocrity?
Only if you apply it to everything. Doing some things badly for joy leaves more energy and pleasure for doing other things very well.
What if you want to get better?
Wonderful. Getting better is allowed; it just isn't required. Many people find they improve faster once the pressure to be good is gone.
Sources
Written by the Zestasy editors. General information for curious adults, not medical, nutrition or training advice.