“Al mal paso, darle prisa.”

At the bad step, give it haste.

Give haste to a bad step.

“Something my dad says often is “al mal paso, darle prisa” which translates to something like “give haste to a bad step.” It means that when you’re in a bad situation you should get out of it quickly.”

Daniel was born in the United States and lives in Los Angeles. His parents are from Mexico. He studies occupational therapy at the University of Southern California. His father says this often to his children so that they remember to make decisions that don’t lead to inevitable suffering. When they are in a bad situation, they should get out of it while doing so would be beneficial.

Giving haste to a bad step can be interpreted as minimizing the effect of the bad step on the journey as a whole by giving it less time. For example, if one were to take a step onto an unsure piece of ground that lied in between two stable spots, it would be better to step quickly in the unsure patch of ground in crossing to the other side than to linger there until a problem arises.