Although “haste” and “hurry” may be related, the two terms can have different connotations. For instance, John Wesley made this distinction:
“Though I am always in haste, I am never in a hurry, because I never undertake more work than I can go through with calmness of spirit.”
Similarly, Lord Chesterfield said,
“Whoever is in a hurry shows that the thing he is about is too big for him. Haste and hurry are very different things.”
Haste and hurry both imply quickness of action, but being in a hurry implies something else. Wesley identified hurry as the opposite of calmness of spirit. For Chesterfield, hurry revealed when someone is overwhelmed by his task. Others say hurry implies a confused state of mind.1
Sometimes going quickly may be desired—or required—but it’s possible to go fast without being overwhelmed, distracted, or sacrificing inner peace. Making haste may be necessary at times. But it’s possible to make haste without being in a hurry.