Thoughts And Observations about Perfection

Perfection is a highly regarded, though elusive ---- maybe even illusive --- goal. Is striving for 100% perfectionism a realistic objective or just a procrastinating detour from possible success? Let’s consider some Thoughts And Observations about Perfection.

?“Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence.” Colin Powell – U.S. statesman, diplomat, army officer, former U.S. secretary of state.

“The path to greatness is paved with persistence, not perfection.”? Aloo Denish Obiero - Kenyan biochemist, author.

“Successful design is not the achievement of perfection but the minimization and accommodation of imperfection.” Henry Petroski – U.S. civil engineer specializing in failure analysis.

“A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery – French writer, aviator.

“Details make perfection, and perfection is not a detail.”? Leonardo da Vinci? - Italian painter, engineer, scientist, architect.?

“Gentlemen, we will chase perfection, and we will chase it relentlessly, knowing all the while we can never attain it. But along the way, we shall catch excellence.”? Vince Lombardi – U.S. professional NFL football coach, executive.

“Part of being an athlete is constantly striving for more. … We're in a world and a society where we're all striving for this perfection that doesn't exist. … No matter what we do and what we accomplish or how we perform, we're always looking at areas we can improve upon.”? Tessa Virtue – Canadian ice skater.

“Quality involves living the message of the possibility of perfection and infinite improvement, living it day in and day out, decade by decade.”? Tom Peters – U.S. writer on business management practices.

“We have to be willing to constantly evolve. Perfection is constant transformation.” Nia Peeples – U.S. singer, actress.

“When you aim for perfection, you discover it’s a moving target.” ?George Fisher – U.S. singer.

“You can't ever reach perfection in this business, but that's one of the things I love. It's something that can't ever be mastered, but you can attempt to get as close as possible.” Chris Harrison – U.S. television host, producer, podcaster.

“It is failure that guides evolution; perfection provides no incentive for improvement, and nothing is perfect.”? Colson Whitehead – U.S. novelist.

“There's the saying that perfect is the enemy of great, because if you strive for perfection you'll maybe never ship. There's a point that's good enough. But I do think that there's so much competition out there that if you don't hit the quality bar, the product will just fail.” Michael Morhaime – U.S. video game developer, entrepreneur.

“Businesses that grow by development and improvement do not die. But when a business ceases to be creative, when it believes it has reached perfection and needs to do nothing but produce no improvement, no development, it is done.”? Henry Ford – U.S. industrialist, entrepreneur, founder of Ford Motor Company.

“Clients don't expect perfection from the service providers they hire, but they do expect honesty and transparency. There is no better way to demonstrate this than by acknowledging when a mistake has been made and humbly apologizing for it.” Patrick Lencioni – U.S. writer, primary focus on business management.

“I have a million career weaknesses, and although it's uncomfortable, I believe that authentically acknowledging and working through your vulnerability is more powerful than the delusion of perfection.” Caroline Ghosn – U.S. businesswoman, founded and manages Levo, a professional network dedicated to helping millennials navigate the workplace.

“Everyone should get sacked at least once. It forces you to look at yourself. … It is important to have setbacks, because that is the reality of life. Perfection doesn’t exist.” Anna Wintour – U.S. media executive.

“For adaptive perfectionists, the divide between their high standards and actual performance may serve as a motivator. But for maladaptive perfectionists, that gulf becomes insurmountable, creating anxiety and self-doubt that can be demotivating.”? Sue Shellenbarger – U.S. journalist, created and wrote The Wall Street Journal 's Work & Family column.?

“Perfectionism is self-destructive simply because there is no such thing as perfect. Perfection is an unattainable goal. Additionally, perfectionism is more about perception - we want to be perceived as perfect. Again, this is unattainable - there is no way to control perception, regardless of how much time and energy we spend trying. … Understanding the difference between healthy striving and perfectionism is critical to laying down the shield and picking up your life. Research shows that perfectionism hampers success. In fact, it's often the path to depression, anxiety, addiction, and life paralysis. … When perfectionism is driving us, shame is riding shotgun and fear is that annoying backseat. … Many people think of perfectionism as striving to be your best, but it is not about self-improvement; it's about earning approval and acceptance.” Brené Brown – U.S. academic, writer, podcaster.

“If you set out to create something perfect, you will be stressed, you may not be able to create anything good, so set out to create something good, relax, as you walk, perfection will come out of the fog and come to you!” Mehmet Murat ildan? – Turkish playwright.

“Perfectionism is not as much the desire for excellence, as it is the fear of failure couched in procrastination.”? Dan Miller – U.S. writer.

“(D)on’t let perfectionism become an excuse for never getting started.”? Marilu Henner – U.S. actress.

?“A more sensible alternative (to perfection) is excellence. Striving for excellence is stimulating and rewarding; striving for perfection--in practically anything--is both neurotic and futile.”? Ed Bliss – U.S. journalist.

“Striving for excellence motivates you; striving for perfection is demoralizing.”? Harriet Braiker – U.S. social/clinical psychologist, author.

“Replace perfectionism with persistence. After all, in recovery and life, it's persistence that really pays off. Forget about perfection.”? Jenni Schaefer -U.S. author, specializing eating disorders, trauma, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

“Strive for continuous improvement, instead of perfection.” Kim Collins - Kittitian track and field sprinter.

“Perfection is lots of little things done well.”?? Fernand Point - French chef/restaurateur, considered the father of modern French cuisine.

?“Even when we strive for perfection, life is nothing more than an attempt to achieve it through a series of greater or smaller imperfections.”? Peter Prange – German writer.

“Life calls not for perfection, but for completeness.”? C.G. Jung - Swiss psychiatrist, psychotherapist, psychologist and pioneering evolutionary theorist, founded the school of analytical psychology.

“People call me a perfectionist, but I’m not. I’m a rightist. I do something until it’s right, and then I move on to the next thing.” James Cameron – Canadian filmmaker.

“Perfection to me is, I walk away from a situation and say, 'I did everything I could do right there. There was nothing more that I could do.' I was a hundred percent, like the meter was at the top. There was nothing else I could have done. You know? Like, I worked as hard as I possibly could have. That's perfection. … “I was born to make mistakes, not to fake perfection. … I’m obsessed with perfection. I want to work. I don’t want to stop. I want to take advantage and make myself the best possible me that I can be.” Drake – Canadian singer, actor.

“Every time you write a song, you're looking for some sort of perfection, and you never quite reach it. You're always looking for that extra missing piece.” Alex Turner – U.K. musician.

“The artist who aims at perfection in everything achieves it in nothing.” Eugene Delacroix – French artist.

“Dancers are always striving for perfection. A great dancer never achieves it: you always want to do another turn, a higher jump, a more difficult acrobatic jump.” Abby Lee Miller – U.S. dance instructor, choreographer, television personality, author.

“Too many people spend too much time trying to perfect something before they actually do it. Instead of waiting for perfection, run with what you go, and fix it along the way.”? Paul Arden – U.K. advertising executive, author.

“The man with insight enough to admit his limitations comes nearest to perfection.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - German polymath, contributed to Western literary, political, and philosophical concepts.?

“Everything that looks too perfect is too perfect to be perfect.”? Dejan Stojanovic – Serbian/U.S. philosopher, businessman, journalist.

“In the pursuit of greatness, remember that perfection is an illusion. Embrace your flaws and let them fuel your journey. … Becoming better is not about reaching perfection, but about embracing growth and progress every step of the way.”? Henry "Hank" Johnson, Jr. – U.S. lawyer, politician.

“Don’t aim for perfection. Aim for ‘better than yesterday.”? Izey Victoria Odiase – U.S. writer, self-care/personal development advocate.

“They say that nobody is perfect. Then they tell you practice makes perfect. I wish they’d make up their minds.” ?Winston Churchill – U.K. ?statesman, military officer, writer.

“Sometimes perfect is good enough; sometimes good enough is perfect.” Peter Senesac – U.S. artist.

“Perfection is not a destination; it's a never-ending process...Enjoy!”? Jim Bouchard – U.S. entrepreneur, author.

?