he who hesitates (is lost)
Those who fail to take quick, decisive action will suffer for it or miss a good opportunity. A: "If only I'd invested in that company when they started up, I'd be a millionaire by now!" B: "Well, he who hesitates is lost." A: "You could have mitigated your losses if you'd dealt with the problem right away, but—" B: "Yeah, yeah, he who hesitates. I know."
He who hesitates is lost.
Prov. People should act decisively. Jill: Should I apply for that job? At first I thought I definitely should, but now I don't know.... Jane: She who hesitates is lost. Call that girl and ask her out. Call her right now. He who hesitates is lost.
he who hesitates is lost
One who cannot come to a decision will suffer for it, as in I couldn't make up my mind, and now the offer has expired-he who hesitates is lost. Although the idea is undoubtedly older, the present wording is a misquotation or an adaptation from Joseph Addison's play Cato (1712): "The woman that deliberates is lost."