"Never do anything yourself that others can do for you"
About this Quote
A sly endorsement of delegation and a portrait of character, the line celebrates the art of conserving energy for the work that truly requires your own mind. It sounds lazy, even arrogant, but it is really about economy: do not squander attention on tasks where others have equal or greater advantage. Agatha Christie often shaped this principle through Hercule Poirot, who avoids unnecessary bustle, lets others tramp through mud and archives, and then solves the puzzle by sitting still and sharpening his little grey cells. The point is not indolence; it is strategic focus. Know where your unique value lies, and arrange life so you can operate there.
The aphorism also glints with social irony. Christies world teems with butlers, companions, chauffeurs, and housemaids, a hierarchy built on duties parceled out to specialists. Delegation is a practical necessity in that setting, but it also exposes class assumptions and the temptation to outsource not just chores but responsibility. Christie is keen at showing when convenience shades into complacency, when comfort becomes a blindfold. Even Poirot, with all his fastidiousness, risks missing truths if he relies too much on others legwork and too little on listening and empathy.
Read as practical wisdom, the line anticipates a core managerial lesson: if you try to do everything, you will do the important things badly. Delegation multiplies capacity, clarifies priorities, and protects the rare resource of attention. Yet taken without ethical guardrails, it excuses entitlement and evasion. The mature application asks: What work is mine because it demands my judgment or carries my accountability? What can be shared to let others grow and to free me for the decisions only I can make? Christie captures that tension with a wink. Efficiency is admirable, but character is measured by what you refuse to outsource.
The aphorism also glints with social irony. Christies world teems with butlers, companions, chauffeurs, and housemaids, a hierarchy built on duties parceled out to specialists. Delegation is a practical necessity in that setting, but it also exposes class assumptions and the temptation to outsource not just chores but responsibility. Christie is keen at showing when convenience shades into complacency, when comfort becomes a blindfold. Even Poirot, with all his fastidiousness, risks missing truths if he relies too much on others legwork and too little on listening and empathy.
Read as practical wisdom, the line anticipates a core managerial lesson: if you try to do everything, you will do the important things badly. Delegation multiplies capacity, clarifies priorities, and protects the rare resource of attention. Yet taken without ethical guardrails, it excuses entitlement and evasion. The mature application asks: What work is mine because it demands my judgment or carries my accountability? What can be shared to let others grow and to free me for the decisions only I can make? Christie captures that tension with a wink. Efficiency is admirable, but character is measured by what you refuse to outsource.
Quote Details
| Topic | Witty One-Liners |
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