Explaining "If you want a thing done well, do it yourself"

Reviewed and edited by

Anwar Kareem 03/08/2025, 09:45

English.me team member

What does it mean?

If you want a thing done well, do it yourself

This phrase means that if you want a task to be done to your satisfaction or done correctly, it's often best to do it yourself rather than relying on others.

Tone

Practical and slightly skeptical

Origin

The phrase is commonly attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte, who is believed to have said something similar in French: "On n'est jamais servi si bien que par soi-même" ('One is never served so well as by oneself").

Examples of usage

After several disappointing repairs by the mechanic, Jake decided, "If you want a thing done well, do it yourself," and fixed his car on his own.
Maria learned to bake her own bread because she believed that if you want a thing done well, do it yourself.