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I have a hard time believing that this phraseology originated in the military given its historical use in the motorsports community. See Alain Proust, who professed to embody this philosophy. Granted the SEAL community predated Prousts F1 participation, but SeAL tactics were not top of mind in 80s popular culture like they are today.
This probably applies everywhere, but it's really stark when you're playing with quickly-solidifying goopy liquid sand
Good lord, 99% of the words in that article were unnecessary.
- I'd be curious if the origin is really the Navy seals. I couldn't find in my brief searching any where else... - I like John Wooden's saying "be quick but don't hurry". I mentioned that to a doctor who trained in the mid 20th century and he said that surgeons had a line "hurry, but don't rush"
I have a hard time believing that this phraseology originated in the military given its historical use in the motorsports community. See Alain Proust, who professed to embody this philosophy. Granted the SEAL community predated Prousts F1 participation, but SeAL tactics were not top of mind in 80s popular culture like they are today.
It's a marksmanship maxim, extant during Vietnam, gaining ground in any profession or activity where the principle made sense. SEALs definitely embraced it, but I believe it originated in WWII in its modern form. There are all sorts of regional proverbs and teachings and sayings all over the world going back through history capturing the same basic notion, though. Haste makes waste - British Festina lente - Latin (Ma…
I've heard the phrase associated with martial arts/self-defense - like drawing a gun and shooting in self defense, or initiating unarmed attack (defense). Rush and tense up in the muscles - and you will literally be slower. And probably miss as well.
I saw a few interesting comments here, like the expanded: "Slow is steady, steady is smooth, smooth is fast"
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/4FZfzqMtwQZES3eqN/slow-is-sm...
And see that Wiktionary hand waves at the military as the origin.
https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/slow_is_smooth,_smooth_is_f...